


Our Place Among The Stars

by emancipator2992



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), Stellaris (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Outer Space, Romance, Smut, Space Battles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 00:52:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 108,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7868776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emancipator2992/pseuds/emancipator2992
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been twenty-two years since a ceasefire brought an end to the Dawn War between the Lyrian Commonwealth and the Stellar Unity Alliance. Now, Lieutenant Fareeha Amari, Lieutenant Commander Angela Zeigler and the rest of the crew of LCS Calgary embark on a dangerous mission in contested space. Success could re-ignite the war, but failure could see the return of a much older threat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! This is a science fiction AU heavily focused on Pharah and Mercy! All the of the Overwatch crew will make an appearance in due time, along with a bunch of OC's, but the focus remains on the two birb moms. Epic space battles, gritty firefights, geo-politics and a fluffy (and potentially smutty) load of pharmercy (and a few other ships) are all in store! A good deal of the universe building is based on the species and names I've used and encountered in the 4X game Stellaris and I'll try to remember to point out species portraits to check out for those who are more visually inclined. I hope you enjoy Our Place Among The Stars!

Our Place Among the Stars

Preface

The Milky Way galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars. Around these stars orbit tens of billions of planets. One particular star in the Orion arm has nine. On the third closest planet to this star the conditions are just right for carbon based life to emerge and thrive. For hundreds of millions of years evolution worked its magic, producing a myriad of strange and wonderful creatures. Several times this oasis of life was almost destroyed, the most recent event taking place 65 million years ago. The meteor impact that was the final nail in the coffin for many species opened up room for others to emerge and flourish. One particular group, warm blooded creatures with fur, rose to dominance. 

A subset of these 'mammals', tree dwellers with four limbs, would give rise to the first sentient species to emerge on this world. They left the trees behind and walked upright on two legs, leaving their hands free for other purposes. Calling themselves 'Humans', they spread across the surface of the planet, colonizing every continent apart from the south pole. They mastered fire, agriculture and began to domesticate various species for food or to help grow food. The humans began congregating into settlements, and began raiding the settlements of others. Over thousands of years a plethora of diverse civilizations rose and fell. Their technology advanced at an ever increasing rate, in a span of a thousand years they went from swords and shields to atomic weapons and rudimentary space craft. Great works of art, literature and music explored what it meant to be sentient, helping them find purpose in what was assumed to be a solitary existence. 

But one question burned above all others, were they truly alone? 

The answer to that question remained tantalizingly beyond reach until the late 23rd century. Earth, the name they gave to their planet of origin, was rapidly running out of space and resources. In a desperate attempt to stave off extinction, the nations of the world acted together through the United Nations to come up with a solution. The first was cold fusion, discovered in 2278 by a team containing scientists from almost every state. The second, Faster than Light travel through warping space time, followed soon after in 2289. Wormhole travel was also experimented with but the two ships sent through in 2295 were never heard from again, discouraging further research in this field.

A new golden age of exploration and colonization followed. Humanity found it was indeed not alone. Befriending, trading and fighting with other species in equal measure occupied the human race for the next century. In 2372 Human explorers stumbled upon two groups of other humans. To their surprise and elation they were the decedents of the crews who manned the lost wormhole ships. Calling themselves The Corballian Union and The Lionel Republic, they could not be more different. The former was fanatically religious totalitarian socialist commune while the latter was a hyper-capitalist republic with almost no central government. Tensions between the three groups would have escalated to conflict had a major crisis not erupted. In 2377 the machines rose up and attempted to overthrow their organic masters. The ensuing war lasted until 2416, and left the known galaxy in tatters. In order to survive the onslaught of the machines the three human factions formed alliances with the other species of the Milky Way. At end of the war these three groups were to become the major political actors on the galactic stage.

In 2389 the United Nations of Earth founded the Lyrian Commonwealth with five other species. The states making up the commonwealth all valued individual freedom, and all participated in some form of democracy. In the period after the war two more species would join, bring the total of member states up to eight.

The Corballian Union Founded the Stellar Unity Alliance with two other states in 2395. The Alliance valued strength, collective spirit, and aggressive expansion. All of its member states were totalitarian in nature. Two more states would join of their own accord. Six smaller political entities would be made client states, essentially puppets, through invasion, military coups, economic blockade or a combination of those methods.

The Lionel Republic founded the League of Independents in 2416, a loose confederation of powers that came together for trade and mutual defense only. Five other states helped found the League, and two more were given membership later on.

Tensions between these three alliances simmered for over one hundred years as the galaxy rebuilt from the ashes of The Machine War. 

In 2513, the Alliance began sponsoring pirate raids on Lyrian colonies in what was dubbed 'Contested space', a region close to the galactic core that sat in between the two superpowers. In response the Commonwealth deployed major naval assets to discourage more incursions. These units occasionally had run-ins with Alliance navy vessels, leading to tense standoffs and the occasional skirmish. 

In early 2515 the Alliance launched a coup in the Kingdom of Yondar, a minor state on the Alliance/Commonwealth border. The Commonwealth response was a total economic blockade of the Alliance. Through careful diplomacy the Commonwealth convinced the League to join the blockade. Knowing they would be starved into submission, the Alliance struck first. 

The Lyrian colony of Deneb was the first target. The Alliance 3rd fleet hit the system hard and fast at dawn on May 23rd, overwhelming the meager garrison. What followed was a massacre. 80% of the colonists were killed, most in cold blood, as the Alliance troops ran riot across the planet. When the 3rd fleet was ambushed two weeks later in Lyrian space no prisoners were taken, the fleet was wiped out.

The horror of Deneb spurred the Commonwealth into action, and war raged for eight long and bloody years. It became known as the Dawn War, named for the dawn attack on Deneb. Neither side was able to gain a clear advantage militarily but the economic blockade forced the Alliance to the negotiating table. A cease fire was agreed upon, but no formal end of hostilities was ever singed, leaving the two sides still technically at war. Formal negotiations took place every year but never got past the first day without one side or the other walking out. Knowing a return to hostilities was inevitable, the Lyrians began to court allies from the League as well as stir up rebellion in the Alliance client states.

Now, twenty two years after the ceasefire, the Commonwealth leadership sets in motion a plan to bait the Alliance in a war it cannot win...


	2. A New Beginning

0700 Hours MDT, May 23rd, 2545,  
Calgary, Canada, Earth

1st Lieutenant Fareeha Amari was not a morning person despite being thirty two and a career soldier. On the rare occasion where she had the day off she was known to sleep well past noon. In order to function before 1000 hours she required a strong cup of coffee, the blacker the better. While the current contents of her cup were far from the best she had ever tasted, she pushed through the bitterness so the caffeine could do its job. Taking another sip, she watched the city wake up in front of her.

The west facing balcony offered her a grand view of the skyline, silhouetted in front of the picturesque Rocky Mountains. It was like a scene off of a postcard, and she took a moment to soak it all up. Calgary had over six million inhabitants in the city proper and another fourteen million in the surrounding area; Nevertheless it was still considered small by Earth standards. Her own hometown of Cairo boasted triple the population in half as much space. It's coffee certainly didn't compare to Cairo's either in Fareeha's eyes but she supposed the nearby mountains and the recreation opportunities they offered made up for it.

Her gaze shifted northward, towards the spaceport. Built on the foundations of the international airport established in the 20th century, Naheed Nenshi Interplanetary Spaceport sprawled over a large portion of the city's northeast. From her vantage point Fareeha could make out the small shuttles used for in-atmosphere transport queuing up for liftoff clearance. Towering over the western half of the complex was the massive Commonwealth Expeditions terminal. Over a dozen Progress class colony ships were currently berthed around the circular structure. Squinting her eyes allowed Fareeha to see the long lines of people assembling to board, their likely destination being the Castalan Verge in Contested Space. Immediately next to the throng of humanity was the reason for Fareeha's stay in Calgary. Moored beside the Sir Arthur William Currie Lyrian Commonwealth Defence Force terminal was the Lyrian Commonwealth Ship Calgary. Swirling the coffee in her mug, Fareeha remembered the conversation that had brought her here.

Two Weeks Ago,  
LCS Tokyo Bay, in Orbit Above Haven, Lyria System

The flight deck of LCS Tokyo Bay bustled with activity. Mechanics and technicians with brightly colored jackets swarmed over their respective aircraft like ants whose nest had been ripped open. It was into this cacophony that Operations Chief Fareeha Amari stepped into as she exited the Manta Class shuttle. A passing pilot pointed her to the back of the hanger when she asked for the nearest elevator. She walked in the indicated direction, threading her way through rows of parked strike craft and dodging the various maintenance vehicles rushing to and fro. Entering the the elevator she pushed the button to close the doors, enjoying the quiet when the doors finally came together.

“Officers quarters please.” She told the console.

“Deck seven.” Replied the ship's AI, followed by the elevator lurching to life.

She took the moment provided by the travelling elevator to collect her thoughts. Four days ago her CO, Captain Imrad Khall of LCS Anubis, had informed her that her presence was requested by Admiral Junichi Sato. Admiral Sato was the commander of the 14th fleet, a patrol fleet of destroyers and corvettes often deployed to safeguard the frontiers of Commonwealth space. She had very little time to collect her things and say goodbye to her small squad before she had been whisked away by the shuttle sent to bring her to Sato's flagship. The elevator coming to a stop brought her back to the present.

“Deck seven, officers quarters located at the end of the hall to the left” the AI informed her as the doors slid open.”

“And the admiral?”

“The third door from the end.”

“Thanks.” She replied, stepping into the corridor.

“You are most welcome, have a pleasant day.”

She walked down the empty corridor, footsteps echoing off the bare metal walls. In very little time she reached the door the AI had indicated was the admirals. Pausing before it, she confirmed the small sign on the otherwise plain door did indeed have the admiral's name on it. Pulling out her compact, she gave her face and uniform a quick inspection. Satisfied that she look parade ground presentable she raised her hand and knocked on the steel. The door slid open and she stepped over the threshold.

The admiral's office was quite spartan, its walls adorned with a singular frame. Inside was a collection of objects which Fareeha recognized as service medals from the Dawn War. A file cabinet stood in a corner. On top of it rested a digital picture frame which cycled through photos of the admiral's family. A small desk occupied the middle of the room. Behind it sat Admiral Junichi Sato, a human male who Fareeha guessed was in his late fifties by the flecks of grey in his otherwise jet black hair. His attention remained focused on a tablet in his hands, upon which Fareeha assumed was her file. Two other officers sat in chairs on either side of him. On his left sat a tall reptilian with steel grey scales, a flat face with no apparent nose and a small down-turned mouth appraised Fareeha with glowing blue eyes. Fareeha recognized the species as an Anthanebian, warm blooded reptiles who came from the arctic world of D'vraadir. The green uniform and its gold markings indicated this particular individual was an army general. To Sato's right sat another human male. Fareeha immediately recognized him as Captain Jack Morrison, a hero of the Dawn war. A legend in the service, many of his exploits were still analyzed in training schools throughout the LCDF. Morrison had also been a close friend and colleague of her mother Ana, and he had taken on the role of uncle to a young Fareeha. The face she saw before her now was much older than she remembered, a long scar ran down the right side and his once poster perfect blonde hair was completely white. The scar on his face did little to prevent the friendly aura she remembered from her childhood from coming through though. She felt reassured by his presence because he represented a link to a safer, more innocent time that she kept locked deep in her mind.

“Operations Chief Fareeha Amari of LCS Anubis reporting.” she said, standing at attention and saluting.

The Anthanebian stiffened and placed a three fingered hand on its chest. The other hand was raised, open palm facing Fareeha in the Anthanebian equivalent of a salute. Morrison smiled at her before returning the salute. As he did he then cleared his throat. The admiral, who was still engrossed his tablet, looked up at the noise and beckoned her closer.

“My apologies Operations Chief Amari, your file is an absorbing read.” He said, finally returning her salute. “Please be seated.”

She sat in the lone chair before the desk, back perfectly straight. She removed her blue beret as was custom and tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

“I am Admiral Junichi Sato, commander of the Lyrian 14th fleet.” He continued, gesturing to the Anthanebian. “This is General Frieda Hallstatt, commander of the 38th Anthanebian Infantry Corps.”

Frieda gave Fareeha a brief nod, the glow in her eyes taking on a warmer tone.

“And this is Captain Jack Morrison, commander of the soon to be launched LCS Calgary”

“The chief and I are well acquainted admiral.” Morrison said, shooting quick wink at Fareeha. “I've seen her in diapers.”

Fareeha felt the heat in her cheeks as a blush spread across them. Nervous laughter was all she could muster in response.

“With all due respect captain the hygiene of human infants is not the reason Chief Amari is here today.” said Hallstatt, with amusement in her voice.

“Indeed.” continued the admiral. “I'll cut straight to the point. As I said before Captain Morrison has been placed in command of the soon to be launched City class cruiser LCS Calgary. She, along with three of her sisters, is set to join the 14th fleet on its new deployment. The fleet has been ordered to pacify, garrison and patrol the Castalan Verge in contested space while the colonization program there gets underway. We will move in and clear out pirates, slavers and other potential threats before settling into patrolling and protecting the new colonies. This assignment comes with great risk, as any incursion into contested space is likely to be seen as an aggressive move by the Stellar Unity Alliance. That, combined with the recent negotiations between the Commonwealth and individual members of the League of Independents has the Alliance on their toes. The balance of power in the galaxy is shifting and there is a very real threat of conflict; Therefore only the best will do for this assignment. That, Chief Amari, is why you are here.”

“I'd like you to lead a highly mobile strike team of jumpsuit troopers, similar to your previous assignment on the Anubis.” Morrison said. “This team would be thirteen strong, including yourself, and includes several specialists.” Fareeha nodded, her face not belying how much her mind was racing. Her previous command on the Anubis had been a small squad of four and there were no specialists. The challenge of commanding three times as many soldiers and the tactical flexibility that comes with having specialists such as snipers and grenadiers was enticing. She was also nervous, as a bigger command meant more lives she was responsible for but she very quickly shook them off. 

She was an Amari after all, and an Amari never backs down. She smiled internally, excited for the first time in what seemed like ages, as Morrison continued.

“You would be acting as a QRF, first in and last out, providing key reconnaissance and air support for the Calgary's marine complement. While their personal files are classified at the current moment you can rest assured they have been hand picked by myself and represent the best of the jumper program. You will also have the latest equipment, including a full set of new Raptora MK-V jumpsuits.”

That got her attention. Her five years on the Anubis had been spent in the Mk-III, a now outdated unit she had grown quite fond of it. A significant tech upgrade was one hell of an assignment perk. 

“I don't have any hours on the MK-V, will that be an issue?” She asked. Hallstatt replied it would not as the MK-V was essentially an upgraded MK-III instead of a totally new model. She nevertheless asked if there were facilities on ship to get accustomed to the subtleties only a veteran jumptrooper would know. Morrison had smiled at that, before replying that there was plenty of room in the ship's hangers for such exercises. 

“We will be undertaking the traditional shakedown cruise to Haven before deployment, which gives you about two weeks before we hit the verge.” He told her. “Plenty of time for getting acquainted with the MK-V while we make the diplomats happy.”

Fareeha nodded, not entirely convinced but acknowledging the subject closed for now. 

Admiral Sato then said “Once the Calgary is on station in the Castalan Verge the 14th fleet will begin exercises with the 38th Anthanebian Infantry, who are responsible for ground defense of the colonies. You will be working closely with General Hallstatt in scenarios simulating everything from full scale invasion to dealing with aggressive wild animals.”

The general nodded. “I look forward to working with you. Any recipient of the Star of Haven will have much to offer when it comes to planning operations.”

“So what do you say Amari?” Morrison asked. “Are you up for the challenge?”

“I look forward to it sir!" she replied, a fiery glint in her eye.

“Good, I look forward to working with you, your mother would be proud.”

Fareeha didn't have the heart to tell him that if he truly thought that was the case he didn't know Ana very well. So instead she faked a smile, hoping he wouldn't see through it.

Her charade worked. Morrison stood up and reached into one of his pockets. Pulling out a pair of golden eagles he held them out for Fareeha to take. 

“You'll be needing these.” He said. Her eyes widened in surprise and a genuine smile formed on her lips. “First Lieutenant Fareeha Amari has a nice ring to it don't you think?”

Her smile widened into a grin.

“Yes, yes it does.”

Present day

Taking one last look at the skyline Fareeha drained the last mouthful from her mug. She grimaced at the unmistakable gritty sensation of coffee grounds on her teeth. Apparently the filter was not of the highest quality. Placing her mug on the bedside table she gave the room a once over, looking for anything she might have forgotten to pack. Her resplendent blue dress uniform lay on the bed, ironed and safely ensconced in a clear plastic cover. Beside it lay an open duffel bag, her clothes packed inside. Next to the bag on the bed was an upside down helmet, sky blue in color with a golden visor shaped like an eagle's beak. Tucked safely inside was a digital photo album, a set of keys and an unopened envelope addressed to 'My Dearest Fareeha'. 

Pulling the envelope out, Fareeha held it up to the light. She could just make out her mother's flowing signature through the paper, but little else. With her free hand she grabbed her multi-tool from the pair of jeans she had decided on wearing and flicked the blade open.

Bringing the blade to the edge of the seal she took a deep breath.

And another. Her eyes grew wet.

The third breath stuttered as she felt the tears well up.

On the fourth breath she lowered the knife, the arm holding it now trembling. 

It took six more for it to stop.

Her emotions now somewhat under control, she placed the envelope back in the helmet and stuffed that into her bag. Fareeha had lost count of how many times this ritual had repeated itself. The letter had been delivered to her seven years ago. Six full weeks after her mother had been declared MIA and presumed dead. She had never got another in the time since. A solitary tear fell from her face and landed on her arm. The sensation of warm liquid on skin broke her out of her daydreaming.

Deciding that a shower was a really good idea, she quickly stripped out of the tank top and standard issue boxers she used as pajamas and made her way to the small bathroom. Cranking the temperature up she closed her eyes and let the water cascade over her. She soon lost herself in the hot water, emptying her mind. The emotional turmoil of the last few minutes was quickly forgotten, and she gave silent thanks to the unknown soul who came up with the idea of a hot shower.

It ended it far sooner than she would have liked. She stepped out of the shower and dried herself with the complimentary towel on a nearby handrail. She threw on a pair of black jeans, sports bra and a different standard issue white tank-top. Grabbing the golden pieces she normally wore in her hair she hesitated a second before deciding it was better to put them in now while she had time. Frantically trying to do them later after getting into her dress blues would leave her to flustered. She donned her leather flight jacket from the bedpost it had been hanging on and pulled out her blue tinted aviator sunglasses. Placing them on her face she gave the mirror one last glance, confirming that she was one bad-ass lady. 

The duffel bag was zipped and slung over a shoulder, and was soon joined by her dress uniform. Her free hand retrieved an earbud and placed it in an ear. She pulled out her music player, selected a playlist called Classical and hit shuffle. Highway to the Danger Zone blasting away she smiled, stepped out of her room and prepared to face the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins!! What did you think? For those wondering the Anthanebians look like the Reptilian Slender #2 portrait on the species page of the Stellaris wiki


	3. Anniversary

0815 MDT, May 23rd, 2545  
Calgary, Canada, Earth

The cab ride from the hotel to the Spaceport seemed to drag on for far too long. In reality it was only ten minutes but nervous energy had Fareeha itching to set foot in her new posting at the soonest possible moment. The driver, an ex-marine, seemed to pick up on this and there were a couple of close calls as he weaved in and out of the morning rush hour.

Because of this she tried to tip him extra when they got to the terminal but he waved it off and told her “Give those Alliance bastards whats coming to them!” He then saluted her and drove off.

She saluted the departing cab before hefting her bag over her shoulder and making her way towards the security checkpoint. There she had her ID card scanned and her formal orders inspected by two serious looking marines. Once the guards determined everything was in order she was waved through and entered the main terminal itself.

Sir Arthur William Currie Terminal was a large rectangular structure on the south side of the spaceport. The drab concrete and steel exterior was matched by the equally dull utilitarian interior. It followed the blueprint used by all military terminals throughout Commonwealth space. The design emphasized functionality over form, thus the boring aesthetic. Personnel of all types hustled to and fro, while bored looking soldiers stood guard, weapons in hand. Fareeha found her eyes drawn to the large bronze statue in the middle of the main assembly area, depicting the terminal's namesake in a heroic pose. Beneath it was a reception desk, to which Fareeha walked. The bored looking corporal behind it pointed her to the east boarding ramp, adding that she would have to walk on the tarmac a short distance because the cruiser was too large to moor directly next to the building.

Upon exiting the building her she was able to look at the ship up close for the first time, and it did not disappoint. At a little over six hundred meters long and towering fifty meters up, the jet black mass of cigar shaped metal that was LCS Calgary dwarfed everything around it. The cone shaped nose, heavily reinforced to facilitate ramming, glinted in the morning sunlight. As Fareeha began to walk to the temporary boarding scaffold she found her gaze drawn to the powerful guns of the ships batteries. Six twin turrets housing powerful beam lasers made up the forward guns. They sat along the central spine of the ship, just behind the nose, with four on top and two below. Several spherical bulges protruded from the ship towards the bow, two port and two starboard, concealed powerful missile batteries. The heavily reinforced box centrally located on the topside contained the bridge, and Fareeha could just make out blue uniformed shapes behind its windows. On either side of the bridge were the rail gun batteries. Six twin turrets per side with four top and two on the belly. Located immediately aft of the bridge were a pair of quadruple turrets with massive Gauss cannons. Below them was the place that Fareeha new she would be spending the majority of her time, the hanger. City class cruisers had their hangers located just in front of the engines, with an entrance on both port and starboard sides. The final piece of main armament was a lonely looking laser turret, the same type as in the forward battery, which sat on the engine spar. Though they were currently not visible, Fareeha knew there were dozens of mini-guns located all over the hull as part of the CIWS, which was used to repel strike craft and interdict missiles. 

The main airlock was located just aft of the second missile bulge, and was accessed through a temporary scaffold. Just starting to break a sweat by the time she reached the top, Fareeha paused to catch her breath in the cool morning air. Before her was a circular hatch with a reinforced door. On the hull beside it the words LCS CALGARY were stenciled in massive white letters. She approached the door, stopping before it to fish her ID out of her pocket.

“Name and rank?” Asked a male sounding robotic voice.

“First Lieutenant Fareeha Amari reporting.” She replied.

“Please swipe your ID card and then verify identity with retinal and palm scan.”

“What, you don't trust me?” She deadpanned as she swiped her ID.

“Was that a joke Lieutenant?”

“Perhaps.” Said Fareeha, a smirk on her face. She off her aviators and leaned down to look into the retinal scanner while placing her hand on the silhouette beside the door. Light pulsed over it at the same time as a laser gave her eye a pass. With the scan complete she stepped through the now open door and heard it hiss shut behind her. She felt a familiar tingling on her skin as the UV light used for decontamination swept over her body and bags.

“Decontamination in progress. I would tell you a chemistry joke to help pass the time, but I wouldn't get a reaction.”

Fareeha was unable to stop herself from giggling. “That was horrible, I approve!”

“Welcome aboard Lieutenant Amari. I am AI unit BA-1-7-1610.”

“BA-1-7-1610 is a bit of a mouthful.”

“Indeed. I have taken the name Bastion, as it seems organics such as yourself find that both easier to say and remember.”

“A pleasure to meet you Bastion.” The decontamination complete, Fareeha stepped into the ship proper. “Would you mind pointing me in the direction of my quarters?”

“Of course. Officers quarters are located on deck three towards the bow. You will find the officers mess and fleet regulated bar immediately adjacent. The closest elevator is located down this corridor and to the left.”

Fareeha thanked him and started off in the direction he had indicated.

“I look forward to working with you Lieutenant, I have access to entire databases full of 'bad' jokes.” He said.

Fareeha paused, smiling as her reply formed on her tongue. “I am looking forward to it as well. I should warn you about one thing though.”

“And that would be?”

“I don't play nice,” she said, putting her sunglasses back on. “I play Pharah.” A high pitch chirping, which Fareeha assumed was Bastion's attempt at laughter, followed her all the way to the elevator.

 

0830 MDT, May 23rd 2545  
Medical Bay, LCS Calgary

May 23rd was the worst day of the year in the opinion of Lieutenant Commander (and Doctor) Angela Ziegler. She was holed up in the medical bay of LCS Calgary, which she presided over as the ships chief medical officer, and was halfway through a bottle of blueberry wine. It had become a solemn tradition for her to mark the anniversary of the death of her parents with a bottle of the stuff. Her parents had both been partial to it, and one of her fondest memories of them had been helping her father make his own. She had cracked the bottle at 8:16am, the moment her life had changed forever. A voice kept her from getting too deep in her introspection.

“Ma'am you realize that drinking this early in the morning could be seen as a sign of alcoholism to some.”

“Relax Lucio, it's only one bottle. Besides I at a large breakfast, helps soak it all up.”

“Whatever you say Ma'am. You gonna be good for the ceremony?”

“I'll be fine.” The look he gave her indicated he was far from convinced. “Tipsy, but fine.”

“I'm gonna get changed then, want me to grab you a bottle of water when I pass the canteen?”

“That would be lovely corporal, thank you.” She gave him a warm smile. “I know it's a little disconcerting to see your CO half cut on the day we ship out.”

“We all have our vices ma'am.” He replied with a shrug. “For the record I don't think you are an alcoholic and it's an honor to serve under the inventor of the Valkyrie suit.”

“Nevertheless my current behavior is less than professional, and I apologize. Today holds...” Emotion caused the words to catch in her throat. “Special significance.”

She wiped the solitary tear rolling down her cheek and refilled her glass.

“Deneb?” He asked after a pause.

She nodded slowly in response. “My parents...” Lucio kept quiet, letting her compose herself.

Angela sniffed, before continuing. “I appreciate the concern Lucio, I really do. I've made peace with what happened, contrary to what you are seeing now. This...this is a tradition for me. I've kept it going every year since I turned sixteen and I have every intention to keep it up until the day I die, no matter the circumstance.” Angela gestured to the room they occupied. “Even if it falls on the day my new posting gets commissioned.”

She turned to face him and smiled. “If you don't mind though I would like to be left alone for a bit before I get into my blues.”

Aware he was being dismissed, Lucio saluted and made to leave the med bay. He paused at the door, hands on the frame and asked “You still want that water?”

“Yes please.” she replied and with the that he departed. The door hissed shut, leaving her alone with her thoughts. 

 

One deck below Fareeha was pulled out of her thoughts by a familiar voice.

“Chief?!”

Fareeha turned in the direction of the shouting to see two very familiar marines jogging in her direction. 

“Saleh? Tariq? What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Word got around that you were being transferred to a new ship so we did some digging.” Saleh, the shorter of the two, replied.

“Saleh called in a few favours and we managed to get the name of this rust-bucket. We figured there can't be many certified jumpers in the replacement pool so chances were good that if we requested a transfer here it would happen.” Said Tariq, the words spilling out of his mouth at a rapid pace. “Had to do an interview with the admiral and Captain Morrison but that must have gone well because here we are!” 

“He even gave us a promotion, something about giving you NCO's you can trust.” Saleh added, proudly tapping the corporals stripes on his sleeve.

“He obviously doesn't know you like I do.” Fareeha replied with a wink. “If he did he would have thrown you out the nearest airlock.”

“You wound me chief!” Saleh said, pouting like a puppy. “After all the chicks I've scored for you too!”

Fareeha laughed at that. “You make a worse wing-man than Tariq's prosthetic.” She said, pointing at the aforementioned limb.

“Hey this purple baby has got me laid more times than it has fingers.” He said, patting his amethyst left arm. “Fingers which, I might add, are capable of vibrating at just the right frequency to dri-”

“Okay perhaps a little too much information to be giving your CO there.” Interrupted Fareeha, crossing her arms. “And seeing as I'm an officer now it might be best to keep these discussions to when we are off duty.”

“Yes ma'am!” They replied unison.

An awkward silence descended on the trio until Tariq spoke up. “Sorry chief, I got a little to exited there.”

Fareeha smiled, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “I'm really happy you guys are here. We've been posted together since basic and I would want nobody else watching my back; However we are going to have to change the way we behave in front of the squad though. I'm an officer and the leader of the squad, and I can't be seen giving preferential treatment to anyone.” 

“Not even your two wing-men?” Saleh asked, puppy-dog eyes back on his face. 

Fareeha rolled her eyes in exasperation. Tariq chimed in. “We read you LT, but promise us one thing.”

She raised the eyebrow above her tattooed eye.

“Don't work too hard. You stepped out from your mothers shadow a long time ago in our eyes.”

She dropped her gaze, a blush forming on her cheeks.

“Think you can do that?” Tariq asked.

“As long as you two stick around, I know I'll be fine.” She looked up and met Tariq's gaze, giving him a smile. “Now don't you two have somewhere to be? The enlisted personal are supposed to be assembling in ten minutes.”

Saleh glanced at his watch. “Shit! We better get going, catch you later chief!”

“Try not to get too serious on us LT.” Tariq added with a wink. “I'd hate to see the chief who drank the whole Anubis crew under the table turn into a stuffy pencil pusher!”

Fareeha chuckled at that, waving at them before continuing on her way. She soon reached her room. She opened the door and tossed her bag down on her bed. The room was small, with barely enough space for a bed, dresser and desk. Immediately adjacent to the entrance was a bathroom with, much to Fareeha's joy, a surprisingly spacious shower. Glancing at the alarm clock on the desk, she judged she had a little time to spare before she should get ready. Perhaps a bit of exploring was in order.

The officers quarters occupied a corridor that ran along spine of the ship. Starting at the mess, which was located several decks below the bridge, they ran along both sides of the hallway. They were organized by last name. Surnames starting with A began on the left side immediately past the mess before returning down the right side. This meant that the letters A and Z had rooms directly across from one another. Curious to see whom she was sharing a hallway with, she crossed it and raised her hand to knock but stopped just before it made contact. Her ears picked out the sound of frantic scratching, broken by the occasional high pitched whine. Curiosity thoroughly piqued she decided to squash the voice in her head telling her to walk away and moved to open the door, hoping it was unlocked. 

To her surprise the door slid open and a large black shape leaped out, knocking her to the floor. A long wet tongue began a relentless assault on her face as she tried to push her assailant off. Wiping the slobber from her face, she found herself eye to eye with a large dog who was now looking at her expectantly. White and brown markings defined its eyes, snout and rather large paws. Emblazoned on its chest was a white cross and a small tuft of white adorned the tip of the dog's tail, which was wagging back and forth at a rapid pace.

“Her name is Juno.” Said a female voice, a slight German accent coming to the fore. “And she hasn't been for a walk today so she's a little restless.”

As she stood up Fareeha's gaze followed Juno as she ran to greet her master, and what a master she had. Before her stood a beautiful woman, her light blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. One hand moved to brush the bangs out of her face revealing piercing blue eyes. Fareeha's gaze drifted to the woman's body, her torso small with a modest bust, and long slender legs. Her casual uniform of a tank top and spandex Capri's left little to the imagination. She was truly breathtaking, and Fareeha felt her jaw go slack for the briefest of moments.

“I suppose I should apologize for breaching...what I mean is I...see I heard a noise and-”

Her stuttering was interrupted by Juno. The dog had jammed her head in between Fareeha's legs from behind and sat down, nearly knocking Fareeha over. A magnificent noise reached Fareeha's ears, drawing her attention away from the canine between her legs. The woman was laughing, chest heaving as she doubled over. Fareeha stood there, bewildered, and unable to move out of embarrassment while Juno stared at her, tail wagging. Or perhaps she was totally lost in the heavenly creature before her. 

Or both. Yes, definitely both.

Wiping tears from her eyes the woman extended her hand.

“Lieutenant Commander Angela Ziegler, chief medical officer.” She said, a warm smile lighting up her face.

“Fi-First Lieutenant Fareeha Amari, Helix square er I mean squad leader.” She managed to squeak out, cheeks flushed.

“Call me Angela.” She replied with a giggle. “She likes you, she doesn't goose very many people.”

“Goose?” Asked a bewildered Fareeha.

“What she just did you. It's called goosing.” Seeing Fareeha's eyebrow rise she added. “I don't know the origin of the term I just know that's what it's called.”

Fareeha nodded, idle fingers scratching Juno's neck. “She's beautiful. What breed is she?”

“She's a six year old Bernese Mountain Dog. I probably forgot to feed her this morning, hence the noise at the door.”

Fareeha nodded but stayed quiet, not trusting her voice. An awkward silence descended over the two, the only noise being the faint humming of the ship and Juno's rhythmic panting. Fareeha's eyes began to wander back to Angela, and she noticed the bottle and glass in her hand. Angela followed her gaze, blushing when she realized what Fareeha was looking at. Their eyes met, and Fareeha again raised an eyebrow.

“I realize it looks bad, so how about this. I forget you walked into my room and you forget you saw this.” She held up the bottle. “In fact, why don't you help me dispose of the evidence before the ceremony. I've got a spare glass in my room.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Fareeha said. She smiled. “Gonna need the buzz to get through the speeches.”

Angela moved past Fareeha into her quarters. Juno abandoned her spot between Fareeha's legs and trotted after Angela. “They do tend to drag don't they?.” Angela replied, retrieving the glass and handing it to Fareeha. 

She filled it and then emptied the bottle into her own. While handing Fareeha her glass their fingers brushed as it passed from hand to hand, and Fareeha felt her skin tingle.

“Cheers.” Said Angela, holding her glass up. “To new friends.”

Fareeha met her gaze and added “And new beginnings.” 

They clinked glasses and drank. Blueberry wine was a new taste for Fareeha, and one she decided should be experienced more often. The deep purple liquid was not unlike a standard dry red wine, but with a strong blueberry overtone that she supposed made sense given the ingredients.

“How is it?” Angela queried.

“Excellent, thank you for sharing it.” Fareeha replied.

“I'm glad you like it.” Angela said, eyes twinkling. “An old colleague of mine gave it to me to celebrate being posted together again. His father makes it at home.”

Fareeha nodded, and the two sipped their wine in silence. Unlike the previous one in the hallway, this silence was much more comfortable. Fareeha's gaze wandered the room. Angela's quarters was identical in layout to Fareeha's. The only difference being the dog bed, which Juno now occupied, crammed into a corner.

“Would you-” Angela hesitated before continuing. “Would you be interested in going for a walk later?”

The puzzled look on Fareeha's face made Angela giggle.

“I take Juno for a walk around the ship every evening before going to sleep. I'm sure Juno would love the company.”

Fareeha had a feeling that when Angela said Juno she really meant herself.

“I'd love to.” She replied, emptying her glass. “I'll swing by the med bay once we get FTL and we can figure out the timing.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Silence descended again until it was rather rudely broken by Juno startling herself awake by passing gas.

“On that note I better head out, gotta get changed and all that.” Fareeha said once she had stopped laughing.

“See you later Fareeha.” Said Angela as Fareeha turned to leave.

“You too Angela.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the chapter got better as it went along, I'm really happy with then end but less so with the beginning. Bear with me for the next couple of chapters as there is some exposition and world-building to get out of the way (I'm a sucker for that stuff but I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea). Anyways thanks for reading and let me know what you think!
> 
> ps for those who don't know CIWS stands for Close In Weapons System and is used on warships to shoot down missiles before they hit the ship. It's usually a Gatling gun that has a very high rate of fire. The bullets are not supposed to make the missile explode but instead they literally knock it out of the sky with the force of their impact.


	4. Tigers-eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long with this! Had some technical issues to deal with.

0946, May 23rd, 2545  
Calgary, Canada, Earth

Angela fidgeted impatiently in her seat. It was a beautiful spring day, with not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was rising as the minutes rolled by. This was compounded by the asphalt the crew of LCS Calgary were assembled on, which served to magnify the heat. Angela was no fan of hot weather, especially when in her dress blues. The thick and heavy fabric did not breathe very well, and a running joke among navy personal was that the quickest way to lose weight was to put it on and sit outside. This was the exactly what the 1500 strong crew was currently doing. Angela's ordeal was made worse by the headache she could feel building just behind her eyes. The throbbing pain seemed to slow down time even further. She mentally berated herself for drinking that much wine so quickly. Lucio had brought her a bottle of water, but it didn't last her long. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and tried look like she was paying attention.

Two rows behind her, Fareeha was watching with amusement. Hot weather was nothing new to her, after all she had been born and raised in Cairo. While the humidity was a little high for her taste, she actually found this kind of heat refreshing. The poor doctor's evident discomfort served as a pleasant distraction from the political nonsense on the stage in front of her.

“Whatcha lookin' at?”

The voice beside Fareeha belonged to 1st Lieuteneant Lena Oxton, who wore a bemused look on her face.

“Checking the doc out are we?” Whispered Lena.

“Perhaps.”

“You think she looks good now? You should see her without the uniform.” Lena playfully nudged Fareeha in the ribs with her elbow.

“I have.” Was Fareeha's smug reply.

“You what?!” Lena sputtered, somewhat louder than she intended. As several unpleasant looks were sent her way by those around them she continued, voice dropping back into a whisper. “You mean to say you and the doc have hooked up already?!”

Fareeha chuckled.

“Nope. But I have seen her with other clothes on so technically I have seen her without the uniform.”

Lena glared at her and Fareeha shrugged innocently. Their attention shifted back to the stage, where a new speaker was stepping up to the podium. Recognizing him as the CEO of Pan-American Shipyards, she immediately turned back to Lena.

“Well I guess we have twenty more minutes of political bullshit to sit through.” Fareeha extended her hand. “1st Lieutenant Fareeha Amari, call sign 'Pharah' and Helix squad leader.”

“1st Lieutenant Lena Oxton, call sign 'Tracer'. I'm your shuttle pilot.” Lena replied, giving Fareeha's hand a firm shake. “So I'll be the one hauling your ass out of the fire.”

“Wouldn't want anything to happen to such a fine specimen.” Fareeha winked.

Lena punched her arm playfully.

“You are unbelievable.” Lena smirked. “Save the charm for the doc, you're gonna need it.”

Fareeha gave her a questioning look.

“I served with her on LCS Overwatch for a couple years. She spends most of her time holed up in the med bay. Brilliant doctor but not exactly a social butterfly.”

“You were on the Overwatch?”

“Yup. Flew Spitfires with 431 Squadron.”

“431 Squadron?!” Fareeha's face lit up with childlike excitement. “I used to have a model of a Spitfire with 431 colors in my room as a kid!”

“I imagine your mother brought it back for you?”

“Yes, among other souvenirs. Which bird did you end up flying? I used to be able to name them all.”

“Slipstream.” Lena seemed to be looking past Fareeha now, as if lost in memory. 

“Wait wasn't that the one that-”

“Had the warp accident?” Lena finished for her. “Yeah that was me. That's why I have to wear this.” 

Lena rapped her knuckles on her chest, and Fareeha noticed the odd bulge in her uniform.

“Keeps me anchored in this reality...or something along those lines. I never fully understood the science behind it.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Nah. Don't worry about me luv, I've had years to get used to it.”

“Does it impact your flying at all?”

“Sort of. It can't take the stress of high G maneuvers which means my days as a fighter jock are behind me.” The concerned look Fareeha gave her prompted Lena to continue. “Relax, the G's required to mess this thing up would also tear a shuttle in half so you don't have to worry about me suddenly phasing out of this reality while dodging flak.” She finished with a chuckle.

Fareeha laughed also. “That's good to hear.”

“So,” Lena ventured. “Want some tips on how to court the doc?”

“Uh sure?” Fareeha wasn't sure where this was going to go.

“The key is her dog.” Lena paused, mouth twisting into a craft smile. “Win over the dog and you have a good shot with Angela.”

Fareeha raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Lena continued. “Were you expecting something different?”

“That sounds too simple.”

“Angela keeps to herself for the most part, doing research n' such, and her dog goes everywhere she goes. They are incredibly close, and its freaking adorable to watch.”

“And this helps me how?”

“Gifts for the dog will get you a lot more than you would think.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I have my sources.” Said Lena with a wink.

Fareeha's response was cut off by the noise of applause. The CEO was walking back to his chair, and a woman in dress blues stepped to the microphone. Her hair was grey and hung loose, just reaching the top of the rows of medals adorning her chest. An impressive scar, left by a three clawed foot, ran across her left cheek. Fareeha recognized her as Jaina Halsey, the current president of the Lyrian Commonwealth.

“TEN HUT!” Shouted a voice from the stage.

The assembled crew stood to attention and saluted. A band began to play the anthem of the Commonwealth. When it was finished the woman finished her salute and adjusted the microphone.

“As you were.” The crowd sat back down, the occasional murmur breaking the silence.

“It gives me great pride to stand before you today as your President. You represent the best and brightest individuals the Lyrian Commonwealth has to offer. LCS Calgary will have a crew of 1500, and what a diverse 1500 it will be, with every member species represented. All genders and sexual orientations can be found on this ship, and I know they will preform there duties to the fullest." 

"Take Helix squad for example.” Fareeha's posture instantly stiffened, and she sat fully erect. “Led by the daughter of the legendary Ana Amari, it's soldiers come from all corners of the Commonwealth. Humans, Anthanebians, Imari, Pelx-Crandonians, Caphevads and Savix'Quast serve side by side. There is even a Yondarin, a refugee from an oppressed nation. 

It is the brave soldiers, sailors and air personal of the LCDF who protect us and ensure our way of life survives. As I have said in the past, the Lyrian Commonwealth strongly condemns the occupation of Yondar by the Alliance, and it's other so called 'client' states.”

The President paused, taking a drink of water and glancing down at her notes. Fareeha was still on alert, nobody had told her that she was in the presidents speech and she had serious reservations about being included in such blatant pandering for public approval. Beside her Lena yawned, clearly uninterested in where the rhetoric was going.

“Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Deneb Massacre, and the start of the Dawn War.” Fareeha's keen gaze saw Angela stiffen as the president continues to speak. “On this day, the Alliance suddenly and deliberately attacked a peaceful and strategically unimportant colony. When the brave garrison and colonial militia tried to protect themselves from the blatant and unprovoked aggression, they were slaughtered without mercy.

It is no coincidence that LCS Calgary is to be launched on this day.

She is set to join the 14th fleet, to protect the brave colonists in 'contested' space and to ensure that this kind of horrible tragedy never happens again. The Calgary and her sister-ships will stand as a bulwark against Alliance aggression. Her class is the most powerful warship of its type in the galaxy, and her crew is the finest we have to offer.

Let me be clear, The Lyrian Commonwealth will not stand for any form of aggression against those who seek a new life on the frontier. We will respond to any such acts with swift and violent retribution. We will bring justice to those who seek to prey on the weak, we will protect those who cannot do it themselves, and we will not sit back and let another massacre happen!”

With the conclusion of the speech the crowd jumped to their feet and erupted into applause. Fareeha clapped halfheartedly, her mind to per-occupied with the ramifications of what had just transpired. Lena tapped her shoulder.

“Lets get on-board before the journalists find you.” She said.

Fareeha nodded. Her eyes sought out Angela, who was staring back at her. Fareeha gave her a weak smile, and Angela smiled in return before Lena whisked Fareeha into the crowd and the privacy of the ship.

 

1015 hours,  
Bridge of LCS Calgary

Captain Morrison strode into the command center with confidence. The marines on guard snapped salutes off.

“CAPTAIN ON DECK!” Shouted one.

The bridge crew scrambled to their feet and saluted. Morrison returned the salute.

“As you were.” He said. “Status update?”

“All systems good, no problems to report.” Replied Reinhardt Wilhelm, the ships executive officer. A giant of a man at well over 6 feet tall, Reinhardt also served as the ground force commander when the situation required it. Having served with Morrison through the Dawn war, Reinhardt had refused promotion past the level of Staff Commander to stay on the front lines with his friend.

“Excellent.” Said Morrison. “Satya get us a launch vector from the tower.”

“Aye sir.” Satya said. 1st Lieutenant Satya Vaswari was prodigy in her field. Her technical scores had set records during training and she had become one of the most sought after communication officers in the LCDF. “YYC control, this is LCS Calgary requesting a launch vector.”

Morrison glanced out the window to the control tower in the distance, sympathizing with the poor controllers. The size of the ship was going to necessitate a large chunk of airspace unusable for civilian traffic, and would no doubt cause disruptions to their carefully laid out time table.

“I copy control. Standing by.” Satya keyed something into her console. “Sending launch vector to navigation.”

“Nav confirms, Bearing 246.” The Anthanebian navigation officer turned to the captain. “Course laid in sir.”

“Copy nav. Nice job Elhara, that was fast.” He smiled at her and sat in his chair. “Satya get me engineering.”

Satya's pressed the appropriate button and gave him a thumbs up.

“Bridge to engineering, how's she looking in there?”

“All good sir, reactor running at 110%. Engines are takeoff ready.” Replied the gruff voice of Torbjorn Linholm, the chief engineer. He was another veteran of the Dawn War, and had served on just about every type of ship in the navy. “She's raring to go!”

“Copy that, bridge out.” Morrison said. “Get the PA system up.”

Satya quickly patched him into the ship's intercom.

“This is the Captain speaking. It is a great honor to serve with all of you. You are the best and brightest in your respective fields and I have great confidence that you will all fulfill your duties to the best of your abilities. 

We are about to take off, and will begin our shakedown cruise to Haven before reporting to Admiral Sato and the 14th fleet for assignment.

Good luck to you all. Morrison out.” He stood up. “Coms, get us clearance. Helm, once we have it take us up.”

“Aye sir.” Said Satya. “YYC control this is LCS Calgary requesting clearance for takeoff on established vector with bearing 246.”

“Copy that LCS Calgary, you are clear for takeoff. Good luck and good hunting.”

The young Imari helms-woman slid a lever forward and the cruiser's engines roared to life. The whole ship trembled as the engines and earth's gravity began their duel. Slowly she gained altitude, her anti-gravity systems straining to get half a kilometer of metal into the air. Upon reaching an altitude of 3000 meters Morrison directed Helms-woman Layda to tilt the nose of the ship straight in the air and put full power to the engines. The ship shook violently as it fought its way into orbit. 

“Apologies for the turbulence sir.” Layda said as she fought the controls. Her blue plumage fluffed up, indicating her frustration. “We just hit the jet stream and it's gonna knock us about for a bit.”

Standard procedure dictated that all crew be seated and strapped in during a planetary takeoff for just this reason. After a few violent minutes the ship entered the mesosphere and the turbulence subsided.

“Engineering do a full inspection before we jump to make sure nothing shook loose.”

“Aye sir, will do.” Was Torbjorn's gruff reply. “Should have it done before we clear the system.”

“Understood. Nav, plot us a course to the edge of the system. Helm, take the course once it's ready.”

“Aye sir.” The two officers replied in unison.

“I'm going to make a round of the ship and see how everyone is settling in.” Said Morrison. “Bastion I stand relieved, Reinhardt has the bridge.”

“Acknowledged captain. May I suggest the medical bay as the first stop on your rounds? Dr. Ziegler has some concerns regarding the surgical suit.”

“Inform the good doctor that I'm on my way.” Pausing at the door, Morrison turned back to the bridge crew. “Drinks in the officers lounge at 1900 hours, first round is on me. I expect to see all of you there.” And with that he left.

1945 ship time,  
Officers mess, LCS Calgary

Fareeha had never been a big fan of going out on her own. Whenever she went bar hopping on shore leave it had been with Saleh and Tariq. They had a good system down where there was always one person of the three who stayed (reasonably) sober. She could be a bit of a stick in the mud when it came to choosing where to go as well. Her taste in music was...eclectic. 20th century rock and roll was not common fare at most contemporary clubs or bars. To compound this she preferred micro-brewery beer, which can be hard to get outside of more developed colonies. 

It was no surprise to her that she was not enjoying the current EDM blasting from the speakers in the officers lounge. Nor was she enjoying the cheap beer in her glass, the taste alarmingly similar to its urine like yellow color, which the bartender had poured while laughing at after she asked for a less commercial brand. She occupied a stool at the corner of the bar and was, much to her relief, alone for the moment. She'd already brushed off several individuals who had tried to hit on her, the most recent one backing down after she threatened to break his nose. Captain Morrison explicitly ordering her to come and stay for at least an hour was the only thing keeping her here. The two people she had hoped to run into, Lena and Angela, had been swept away by old friends before Fareeha could get to them. Fareeha in turn was swept away by an old friend of her mother's, Reinhardt Wilhelm. He had dragged her around the bar, introducing her to a long list of faces and names that she had no hope of remembering. The only consolation was that once they were finished he had pulled her in close and gave her a long tender hug.

“It is truly good to see you Fareeha.” He said, his eyes beginning to water. “Ana would be proud of you. I am proud of you, I view you as one of my own.”

“I've missed you too.” She said, her voice catching as her emotions caught her off guard. “With you watching my back I'll have nothing to worry about.”

He kissed her on the brow and patted her shoulders, before ambling off to the bar for a drink.

Her lonely vigil in the corner did allow her to listen in on many conversations, and she had gathered some very interesting bits of information from the overly boisterous people around her. One fact had become very clear, most of the crew knew each other from previous postings, many having served under Morrison. Even more interesting was the fact that almost the entire senior officer core had been on LCS Overwatch. That name kept coming up again and again, and Fareeha resolved to do some digging on it once she was back in her quarters. 

She glanced up at the clock above the bar. It read 1951. 

She sighed, nine more minutes of hell.

“You all right there luv?”

A groan was Fareeha's reply.

Lena laughed. “That bad huh?”

Fareeha nodded.

“Well chin up luv, cavalry's 'ere.” Lena patted her back before hopping up on the stool next to her. Fareeha took a sip of beer, grimacing at the taste.

“Are you always this much fun?” Lena teased.

Fareeha scoffed. “I know how to have a good time!”

Lena rolled her eyes.

“I do!” Fareeha said in an indignant voice. “This just isn't my type of place.”

“And what is?” Asked Lena, eyes flashing mischievously. “The med bay perhaps?”

Fareeha spewed the mouthful of beer she had just sipped back into the glass.

“What?!” She stammered out.

“I saw the doc making eyes at you earlier. I think you're in luck.”

“Why do you want this to happen so badly?” Fareeha asked. The look she gave Lena did not mirror the giddiness she was experiencing inside.

“Angela has been through a lot. She's saved my life several times and I want her to be happy.”

“And you think I'm a person that can make her happy? How do you know I don't just want a one night stand?”

“Luv if you wanted that the two of you would have shagged before the ceremony.”

Fareeha's jaw dropped, making Lena giggle.

“How do you know these things?”

“I have my sources.”

“What if I was saving it for later in the day?”

“Fareeha you are grasping at straws here.”

The look on Fareeha's face made Lena sigh in exasperation. 

“I think you two are made for each other. You are the stoic warrior and she's the motherly medic. It practically writes itself and she's drop dead gorgeous.”

Fareeha raised an eyebrow.

“You compliment each other. She tempers your aggression, you bring out the steel in her. Besides if you don't make a pass soon, that Thunderbolt pilot over there will.” She pointed across the bar to where a tall redhead stood, gaze fixed firmly on Angela. “And I want her for myself.” Lena winked at Fareeha.

“So is this whole plan to get Angela and I to hook up just to free up your...target?”

“No I mean what I said, you two are prefect for each other. This just happens to be a convenient perk.”

Lena stood up. “I'm gonna make a distraction, you walk over there and make you move.”

Fareeha put a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

Lena smiled warmly and mirrored the gesture.

“In preparing for a role some movie stars imitate the relationships onscreen.” Said Lena. Fareeha frowned, confused. “I'm you shuttle pilot, I pull you out of the fire. I have your back.”

“Then good luck soldier.” Fareeha saluted her.

“Good luck to you too.” Lena saluted back.

Lena worked her way around to the center of the bar and jumped up onto it. The sudden disturbance meant all eyes, including those of the redhead pilot, were squarely on the Lena.

“Tigers-eye in the sky!” She shouted.

Every pilot in the room jumped to their feet and shouted the phrase back at her.

“Ride it high until you die!”

With the room preoccupied Fareeha slipped over to where Angela was seated and tapped her on the shoulder. Angela turned and smiled warmly.

“I was wondering when you would show up. Where have you been?”

Fareeha shrugged sheepishly, one hand scratching her back in a nervous tick.

“Reinhardt gave me a who's who tour of the officer corps.”

“Ah.” Angela replied. “You have my sympathy.”

“You uh want to get out of here?”

“My Fareeha are you asking me out? You are bold.” Angela winked at her. Fareeha was blushing furiously now. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten about accompanying me on my evening walk with Juno.” 

She stood up, draining her beer. The disgusted face she made caused Fareeha to burst out laughing.

“I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates the beer.” Fareeha said, nerves forgotten. She offered Angela a hand. “Shall we?”

Angela took the proffered hand, rising to her feet.

“Let us be off then.”

Together they slipped out of the lounge unnoticed by all except one. Lena smiled smugly at the site before turning back to the redhead whose hand was slipping in between her legs. 

“Looks like we're both gonna have a happy ending.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The hard drive on my laptop decided it didn't want to live in this world anymore and died on me. Had to send my computer in to a shop to get a new one and it took almost two weeks to get it back. It's all good now, and I only had to rewrite part of this chapter so yay for small miracles woooo
> 
> I took a more assertive and sneaky approach to Tracers personality than what I've seen in many other fics. In the actual game lore she is test pilot. Now any of you who do any kind of aviation or military history reading will know that pilots are trained to be aggressive and think on their feet. They have a killer instinct, and are highly trained. Test pilots are (usually) chosen from the best of these. I imagine Tracer as being very sharp, quick thinking and aggressive. She likes to dive in with a partial plan and adapt on the fly. Anyways let me know what you think and thanks for reading!
> 
> ps. soooooooooo the alien species. Almost forgot about this. The Imari look like the Avian massive #16 on the species page of the Stellaris wiki. The rest of the species will be touched on in more detail in the next chapter when Helix squad gets introduced properly.
> 
> pps. I swear things will pick up hahaha action is in store very soon!


	5. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooo update!

“Cleo come back here!” shouted Angela, “I finished your crown!” In her hands was a small crown of woven daisies. She chased after the dog in question, holding the crown in the air. The chase lead her to the top of a small hill that overlooked her parent's farm. Pausing at the top to catch her breath, she turned around to enjoy the view. Stretching out before her was the Zeigler estate, a square mile of farmland her parents had been given in return for moving to the colony. A joint Swiss-Canadian venture, Deneb's native flora and fauna had been supplemented by species introduced from Earth. The rich soil was perfect for farming, and the area around the city of New Zurich had quickly established itself as the breadbasket of the planet. Family run farms and ranches dotted the countryside in every direction, giving the district a quaint and relaxed atmosphere. To the east Angela's seven year old eyes could just make out the skyscrapers of New Zurich silhouetted against the rising sun. 

Cleo scooted past her, barking playfully and made a dash for the relative safety of the house.

“I'm gonna get you!” Angela shouted and gave chase. As she neared the house Cleo turned around and ran back at Angela. Once alongside she jumped up on Angela and licked her face.

“Get down silly.” Angela sputtered, free hand fending off the slobbery tongue. Cleo sprung off of Angela and ran circles around her, barking all the while. Suddenly Cleo froze, ears flat and tail tucked. 

“What is it girl?” Angela asked. “What's wrong?”

Cleo barked louder now, and it was not at all playful in tone. It echoed off the house in the early morning stillness. Angela was suddenly aware that it had become very quiet. The birds whose songs normally filled the spring air had gone silent. Cleo barked again. She began to growl, her mouth curling into a snarl as she bared her teeth. Angela reached out to pet her reassuringly.

“What's wrong girl?” She asked again. The dog only growled louder in response, her attention fixated on something behind Angela.

“Don't move!” A voice demanded. Its tone was harsh and it had a mechanical edge, as if the speaker was talking through some kind of filter. “Put you hands in the air, nice and slow.”

Angela tried to do as the voice demanded, but found her arms paralyzed with fear.

“I said hands in the air!” 

Angela slowly turned around, her hands starting to tremble. Her grip slackened and the woven crown fell to the earth, forgotten. Before her was a human, dressed in all black. An imposing breather mask covered his face, and he was pointing a large gun at her. Cleo barked again.

“Silence the mutt or I'll silence it for you.” He threatened.

“Please don't hurt her.”Angela whimpered, tears forming in her eyes. She was shaking now as fear took hold of her body. Suddenly a shot rang out in the still morning air, causing a flock of startled bird to take to the wing.

Angela screamed and covered her ears. 

The man dropped his gun. He fell to his knees, hands clutching desperately at his throat. Blood ran through his fingers as he gurgled desperately for air. He coughed and sputtered, choking on his own blood, before falling face first onto the ground. Cleo snarled and leaped at the man, going straight for his neck. His mask muffled the scream as Cleo's jaws clamped down, and she shook her head violently back and forth. There was a sickening crack, and the man went still.

“CLEO OFF!” screamed Angela.

“Angela!” Her mother shouted as she ran out of the house, rifle in hand. “Angela are you okay?!”

Angela remained silent, staring wide eyed at the crumpled body. Her mother engulfed her in her arms. Angela's resolve broke, and she sobbed into her mothers shoulder.

“Shhhh, it's okay. It's okay.” Her mother told her. One hand ran through Angela's blond hair, the other rubber her back in reassurance. “He can't hurt you now, it's okay.”

Sensing Angela's distress, Cleo loped over and nuzzled her. Angela began to absentmindedly rub the dog's ears as her mother cradled her. She didn't notice the blood staining the dog's muzzle. Gradually her breathing began to slow, and the sobs that wracked her small frame began to dissipate.

“Rita, they are coming!” They voice belonged to Angela's father inside the house. “Steinbeck is calling up the militia!” He appeared at the door, rifle in hand. 

“Thomas just called, he said he took out three more dressed like this one.” He said, gesturing to the body. “We need to go!”

“Get the car ready, I'll be there in a minute.” Rita replied.

He nodded, and ran back into the house.

Angel found her voice. “Whats happening?” she asked.

“Some very bad people are attacking the colony. Mommy and Daddy have to go help stop them.”

“What about me?” Angela asked with wide eyes. “I want to help!”

“You are to young schatz, this is for grownups only.” Rita kissed Angela's brow. “Do you remember the safety movie? With Colony Cameron?”

“Yes.” Replied Angela. 

“What did he say kids should do if bad people come?”

“Go hide somewhere safe!”

“And where is the safest place on the farm?”

“The cellar.”

“That's right, so why don't you run up to your room and grab some toys. Be quick about it!”

Angela dashed to her room, Cleo bounding in her wake. She grabbed her handheld game system, her music player and some coloring books. She ran back down the stairs and outside. Not seeing her mother out back, she went around to the front of the house. Her parents were deep in conversation next to the family car.

“I'm ready!” She said, and Cleo barked as if to say the same.

Her parents smiled warmly at her.

“Look at my little angel.” Said her father. “Come here so I ca-”

An ear shattering roar cut off his sentence, followed by the sound of breaking glass. Her mother raced over and scooped her up in her arms, shielding Angela from harm. When things appeared to have subsided her grip on Angela relaxed. Angela turned to the house and gasped at the sight. The shock-wave had blown out all the windows in their two story home, and the front yard was littered with broken glass. Her father's mobile phone rang.

“Hallo? Tomas did you-. Ya. Ya. The fertilizer silo? Verdammt. Ya, we are on the way over now. Ok. Stay safe.”

He hung up. Angela's mother and father shared a concerned look.

“Get her to safety schatz, we have to go now. This is more serious than I thought.” He walked over to them, and kissed Angela. “See you soon angel, you stay safe. We will be back, I promise.”

Her mother carried her over to the cellar entrance, Cleo following along behind. They reached the door and Angela's mother placed her on the ground and opened it.

“Now remember schatz, do not open this door. No matter what happens do not open it. We will come back and get you when things are safe, understand?”

Angela nodded, but her attention was drawn to the horizon. Smoke rose from the direction of New Zurich, and Angela could see large ships locked in combat above the city. Three smaller ships surrounded a much larger one, and all four had patches of fire on them. Bright flashes and distant rumbling indicated the ferocity of the battle.

Her mother squeezed her into a hug. She kissed her brow.

“Stay safe schatz. Promise mommy this okay?” Her mother was close to tears.

“I promise.”

“Good, now ru-”

A blinding white light cut off her mother. Angela shielded her eyes. 

“Inside Angela, now!” her mother shouted. Cleo raced down the cellar steps ahead of Angela. Just before she was pushed inside she glanced back at the city. The large ship had broken in half, and was falling towards the city below it. The three smaller ships were now blazing torches of light, and they too were falling onto the city.

Her mother slammed the cellar door, and Angela began to descend the steps. As she did, she could make out her father's voice outside.

“Mein gott, that was the Jericho!”

“Her reactor must have gone critical. Over the city too, those poor people...”

“Come schatz, we have a job to do.”

The car door slammed shut, and Angela jolted awake.

She sat upright, panting. Her hands were cold and clammy with sweat. She sniffed, and reached for the tissues on her bedside table. Only then did she realize she wasn't in her room. She was instead in the med bay, her private office to be specific. The bed was actually a fold-out couch Angela had managed to transfer over from her last posting. Being constantly on call meant time in her quarters was rare, so a bed in her office was rather useful. Curled up at the end was Juno, who regarded her with curious eyes, confused as to why her master was awake. She got up and padded over to Angela and sat down, licking the tears from her face. She scratched Juno underneath her collar and tried to piece together the previous evening. Her scratching moved down Juno's back to a spot just above her tail. Juno's eyes rolled back, her tongue slid out of the side of her mouth and her leg began to thump the bed rapidly. This movement disturbed its third occupant, a somewhat frazzled looking Fareeha.

“What time is it?” She grumbled, stifling a yawn.

Angela jumped, startled by the sudden noise. She hadn't noticed Fareeha. A quick glance confirmed she was there, and still clothed. Angela sighed internally in relief.

“Everything okay?” Fareeha asked, rolling to face Angela. The look she gave her was one of deep concern, and Angela melted at the sight. 

“I'm fine...I think.” Angela replied. Fareeha raised an eyebrow. “Just a bad dream. It's a couple minutes past 0300.”

Fareeha nodded in understanding, she'd had her fair share of those.

“Want to talk about it?” She asked, reaching for Angela's hand. She stopped halfway there, unsure if this was stepping beyond what was allowed. The motion did not go unnoticed. Angela closed the distance and gave Fareeha's hand a gentle squeeze.

“Did we...” She trailed off, unsure of how to ask the awkward question.

“No.” Fareeha answered quickly. Angela sighed in relief.

“Not that I don't want to...I mean you are gorgeous an-”

Angela trailed off as Fareeha placed her other hand on top of Angela's. They sat in silence for a moment. Fareeha was the one to break it.

“We came back here after the bar. We took Juno for her walk, and I offered to escort you to your quarters after. You forgot something in the med bay so we came back here. We started talking, you pulled out a bottle of wine and we talked and talked until you fell asleep mid sentence.” 

Angela's cheeks flushed red. “I've been known to do that from time to time.” she said.

“You woke up right away, and I offered to leave but you mentioned the bed here. So we decided to crash on it and you fell asleep before I had even got the pillows.” Fareeha finished, chuckling.

“I'm glad we didn't do anything...rash.” Angela's eyes sparkled as she spoke. “I'd hate to start things off so...so-”

“Physically?” Fareeha ventured.

“Yeah.” Angela paused, gathering her thoughts. “I want to get to know you, both mind and body.” She winked at Fareeha, “But I'd like to start with the mind first if that's okay.”

“Nothing would make me happier.” Fareeha replied, and Angela's face lit up. She squeezed Fareeha's hand once more.

“Good.” she said.

“Now that we have settled that, can I go back to sleep? Roll call isn't for four more hours.”

“Be my guest,” Angela answered, gesturing to the bed. “Since I am up I will probably review prescription files until then.”

“Angela.” Fareeha gave her a disapproving look.

“Fareeha.” Angela shot a playful one back.

“You need your sleep, just like the rest of us.”

Angela avoided her gaze, and remained upright. Fareeha sighed in exasperation.

“At least lend me your warmth.” She chattered her teeth and shivered, pretending to be cold. “It-its f-f-f-free-zing in h-h-er-e.”

Angela smiled at the display.

“So are you saying you only want me so you can use my body as a blanket?”

“Yes,” replied Fareeha. “Isn't that what relationships are for?”

Angela giggled. “You are impossible.” She playfully swatted Fareeha's arm.

“I'm cold, so lie down with me or I will be forced to take matters into my own hands.”

“Are you threatening me?” Angela tensed, sensing shenanigans.

“Perhaps.” Fareeha licked her lips. Angela's eyes followed her tongue. She grinned wickedly. “Last chance to lie down peacefully.”

Angela crossed her arms and held her head up stoically. “You will never take me alive!”

Fareeha lunged at Angela, tackling her around the waist. Angela squealed, and tried to resist but quickly stopped, seemingly resigned to her fate. Fareeha pinned her against the bed, and managed to trap Angela's hands under her body. Angela struggled for a moment, then fell still.

“Got you!” Fareeha says, cheeks flush with victory. “Justice has been delivered!.”

“Don't be too sure.” Angela replied with a coy smile. “You've made a rookie mistake.”

“And what would that be?”

Angela leaned in, close enough to feel Fareeha's breath on her lips. The sensation sent shivers down her spine, and it felt like fire was coursing through her veins. She became very aware of how entwined their bodies were, making it hard to concentrate.

“You forgot my legs.” whispered Angela. Before Fareeha could react Angela shifted her hips, and latched onto Fareeha just below her rib cage using her legs. She began to squeeze. Fareeha fought desperately to maintain control, but the pressure on her kidneys became too much. She flinched, and lost the battle against the laughter building up inside of her. Angela continued her assault with a fiery glint in her eye, giggling all the while. She succeeded in freeing her arms and set them on Fareeha as well. With a demonstration of great dexterity she flipped the helpless Fareeha onto her back, pinned her arms above her head, and straddled her waist. Their breaths came fast, and their cheeks were red with exertion. Angela's hair had partially escaped it's ponytail, but Fareeha somehow found it more attractive, wondering what it would look like completely free. Angela was thinking along the same lines, eyes drawn to where Fareeha's ornamental braids were coming undone. Angela leaned in close again. 

“Do you concede?” she asked.

“Never!” Fareeha replied melodramatically. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. “Do your worst!”

“Very well.” Fareeha tensed. When nothing happened she risked opening one eye to peer at her captor. To her surprise Angela released her arms, and smiled sweetly. 

“What ar- AHHHHHH!” Angela began to tickle Fareeha, eliciting a squeal of laughter. 

“A little ticklish are we?” Angela grinned impishly. Fareeha shook her head vigorously. “I believe a second dose is in order!”

Angela's nimble fingers resumed their relentless assault on Fareeha's body, with special attention given to her abdominal region. No amount of pleading on Fareeha's part seemed to stop the torment.

“Angela p-p-pl-please!” she begged, tears of laughter in her eyes.

Angela took pity on her, and ceased the tickling. She eased herself off Fareeha and sat with legs crossed next to her, watching her chest heave with amused eyes.

“You will pay for this.” said Fareeha once she had regained her breath. Angela smiled innocently.

“We'll see about that.” she said with a wink.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Juno, who had abandoned the bed during the anarchy earlier, padded back and reoccupied her post at the end of it. Angela suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over her. She yawned and stretched her arms, before laying back down alongside Fareeha. After a minor internal debate, Fareeha threw caution to the wind. She reached her arm over Angela and pulled her close so they were lying nose to nose. Angela hummed pleasantly in response.

“Better?” Fareeha asked.

“Yes.” Angela replied, and she pulled the covers over them both. She nuzzled Fareeha, burying her face in her neck. Fareeha inhaled the scent of Angela's hair, lavender with a citrus undertone, and sighed with content. Her breathing began to slow, and she felt herself beginning to drift into slumber.

“Fareeha?”

She grunted in acknowledgement. 

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Her voice cracked and she opened her eyes. Angela shifted to look at her.

“Taking my mind off things.” 

Fareeha smiled warmly. “Anytime Angela, anytime.”

She closed her eyes and hummed softly when Angela's lips brushed her forehead with the faintest of kisses. Angela slipped her head back under Fareeha's chin and closed her eyes. The two soon slipped into peaceful slumber, their soft breaths the only sound in the room.

 

0830 ship time, May 24th, 2545  
Edge of the Colmar system  
Captains quarters, LCS Calgary

Captain Morrison sat at his desk, sipping a mug of coffee while sifting through paperwork. Despite LCS Calgary having seen no action yet there was a surprising amount of documents requiring his attention. Specialist gear requisitions for the armory, spare parts for two Spitfires, and several transfer requests from fleet personal hoping to be added to the crew had occupied him since he had woken up at 0630. A green light flashed on his console, indicating he had an incoming call. He set his mug down on the desk, and pressed the open mic button.

“Morrison here, go ahead.”

“Long range scanners have picked up something.” The voice belonged to Satya. “You are going to want to take a look at this sir.”

“I'm on my way up, Morrison out.”

A few minutes later Morrison arrived on the bridge to find it a hub of activity. He walked over to Reinhardt, who was hunched over a holo-table. On it was a 3D representation of the Colmar system.

“Something to report?” Morrison asked.

“Yes sir. The Colmar system is technically in UNE space but leased to the Pelx-Crandonian League because the only habitable planet is very arid, suiting their biology. Colmar IV,” Reinhardt jabbed a finger at the Earth sized planet in question, “is that planet. A few isolated mining outposts were its only inhabitants, and most moved on after the copper market crashed 15 years ago. Officially it is listed as uninhabited but pirates and smugglers often use the abandoned camps for shelter.” Morrison nodded, this was an all too common problem.

“I take there is something of interest on the surface?” he asked.

“Yes sir.” Reinhardt cracked his neck. “While we were waiting for the warp drive to cool down we did a scan of the system to test out the instruments. What we found is...unusual. Bastion, focus on Colmar IV please.” The AI chirped in response, and and the system map was replaced with a much larger version Colmar IV. 

“Here.” Reinhardt point one of his over-sized fingers at a flashing red spot near the planet's equator. “Long range scanners picked up some garbled comm traffic coming from this location. Satya was able to clean it up a bit.”

“Bastion play it for me please.” Morrison said, “Put it through the tactical display.”

“LCS-......breaking up........hold......mayday mayd-” A burst of static ended the transmission,

Morrison frowned and crossed his arms.

“That isn't much to go on.” He said, looking over at Reinhardt.

“That's the best I can do sir.” Satya appeared at the table. “Something other than the planet's atmosphere is interfering with the signal.”

“I'm impressed you got even this much out of it, good work Lieutenant.”

“It's being jammed?” Reinhardt asked. “That changes things.”

Morrison nodded. “This smells like a trap, concocted to lure in good Samaritans like ourselves.”

Reinhardt and Satya both nodded.

“So what's the plan?” Reinhardt asked.

“Spring the trap.” Morrison straightened up. “We have something most good Samaritans do not, firepower.”

“Who gets the unenviable task of springing said trap?” asked Satya.

Morrison and Reinhardt exchanged looks.

“The Jumpers.” They said in unison.

“Have them in the briefing room in 15 minutes.” Said Morrison. “You are both dismissed.”

Reinhardt nodded and hurried off the bridge, while Satya walked back to her station.

 

0930  
Hanger deck, bay 4, LCS Calgary  
In orbit over Colmar IV

The hanger deck buzzed with activity. Technicians and pilots ran too and fro, preparing craft for take off. Fareeha spotted Lena by the nose of her shuttle, talking with the two fighter pilots assigned as escorts. She caught Lena's eye and waved. Lena waived animatedly back and gestured for her to come over. Fareeha shook her head, pointing to the half of her Raptora suit on the floor. Lena's face fell a little at this, but she shrugged and went back to her conversation. Fareeha returned her attention to the pieces of steel and carbon fiber in front of her. Hew new MkV suit was jet black, unlike her MkIII which had been sky blue, and the helmet was shaped like a jackals head. She had nicknamed it Anubis upon first sight and while she would always have fond memories of her MkIII, the MkV was making a very good first impression. She hoped it didn't disappoint in combat.

Around her, the twelve other members of her squad were in various states of dress. Initially they had all been quiet, nobody quite sure how to break the ice, until Saleh had dropped a shoulder piece on his foot. Fareeha suspected that he did this on purpose, because immediately after Tariq had began to talk shit about him and the friendly banter between the two relaxed the atmosphere. Soon they were all in friendly conversation with one another, and making proper introductions unlike the stiff formal ones of yesterday.

She looked over them as she fiddled with one of her leg plates, making sure to go over names so she had them all memorized before they launched. Saleh and Tariq she knew of course, in their emerald and amethyst suits respectively, who were currently fiddling with their pulse rifles. There were two other humans in the squad, specialists Norman Greene and Delyinn Brightmoore. Norman was a colonist from Mars, while Delyinn was the daughter of notable diplomats on Haven. She served as the radio operator for the squad, and had received training to act as a forward air and artillery controller allowing her to call in fire support from the Calgary and its air wing. Norman carried a rocket launcher similar to Fareeha's, as well as specialist grenades. Delyinn's suit was the same jet black shade a Fareeha's while Normans was a rusty red, meant to imitate the color of the martian soil. A pair of Anthanebian privates sat in quiet meditation next to an ammo crate. Krass and Kodlak were both of clan Hagan. A small clan, it was known for producing exceptional warriors due to its territory lying on frontier of Anthanebian space. Fareeha had high hopes for the two, having served with a Hagan warrior on the Anubis. She knew they would be dependable, and follow orders without question. Their suits were steel grey, the emblem of clan Hagan, a hammer superimposed onto a star, hastily stenciled onto the shoulders.

The same could not be said of the rather boisterous Yondarin currently currently talking Delyinn's ear off. Lord Edric Rhysold III hailed from the Kingdom of Yondar, a small feudal like state of four eyed avians currently under Corballian occupation. His file mentioned he had bravely led a resistance movement after his family was executed on suspicion of harboring rebels. Going into exile when the uprising was crushed, he had enlisted in the LCDF expecting an officers commission. Instead a clerical error saw him given the rank of private, and he had offended far to many people with his arrogance to secure a lasting promotion, although he somehow managed to acquire a gold colored suit. Accustomed to having his own way, he had already chafed with Tariq, his section leader. Fareeha resolved to keep a close eye on him, arrogance had a tendency to cost lives in combat.

The squad's engineer and tech specialist was an Imari named Darys Greenfeather. As her last name indicated the plumage above her eyes was green instead of the traditional black, and her suit matched its color. It was a genetic abnormality similar to albinos in humans, and in Imari culture signified a great mind. Because of this it was much to her family's disappointment when she enlisted in the LCDF instead of one of the state run laboratories that dominated Imari society. The avian species placed great emphasis on scientific advancement while martial prowess was frowned upon as being for primitives. She was busy tinkering with Edric's chest piece, as he had complained several times already that it wasn't fitting properly despite being specially made to suit Yondarin physiology. 

There were two Pelx-Crandonians as well. An avian species hailing from a desert planet, they had one large eye which could see both visible light and infra-red. This made them natural scouts and snipers. They were highly sought after by private security contractors, search and rescue teams and armies alike. Brunmar Threewind, dubbed 'Kip' by Saleh after the sound he made when adjusting the settings on his scope, served as the squad's sniper in his mat brown suit. His spotter was Ballaroc Goldeye, whose eye was indeed gold in hue. His suit was not, instead the paint was mossy green in color.

Specialist Jorix Quxoth was the quietest of the bunch. A soft spoken Savi'quast, she was methodically stripping and cleaning the squad's light machine gun. When her queen and most of her hive were killed in a Corballian raid she joined the LCDF and had an impressive service record. Beside her stood the final member of Helix squad. Chogghxuth Vorax was a Caphevad, a fungaloid species humanity had uplifted from the equivalent of Earth's industrial age. Both of them had blue suits, with many strangely shaped pieces to suit their unique physiology. 

With the last of her suit firmly attached, Fareeha turned to pick up her Jackal's head helmet only to find it missing from the bench she had left it on. A knock on the opposite shoulder had her turn to find Angela, dressed in her red and white Valkyrie suit, offering it to her.

“Looking for this?” she said.

Fareeha took it from Angela's outstretched hand. Even through the metal of her suit she could feel the tingle when their hands brushed against one another. She quickly jammed the helmet on her head to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.

“When Morrison said we would be having medical support I didn't realize he meant you.”

“Well I am technically a combat medic.” Angela replied with a chuckle. “Is it a problem?”

“No.” Fareeha looked at the ground. “I'm glad it's you.”

“Just keep the skies clear for me.”

“Lets keep the skies clear together.” Fareeha lost herself in Angela's eyes, she knew at that moment she would die before she saw Angela hurt.

Angela smiled. “Ready?” she asked.

“I was born ready.” Fareeha boasted. Angela laughed at that.

Fareeha turned to her squad, who were all suited up now.

“Circle up!” she said. She beckoned for Angela. “You too!”

They were quite the imposing sight. Thirteen heavily armed and armored individuals stood in a circle, arms around each other's shoulders, with Fareeha at the center.

“I know we haven't had much time to work together,” she said, “and that some of us have little or no time on the MkV”

There were a few nods and murmurs of agreement.

“These points are irrelevant. Why?” Fareeha paused, and and made sure to meet the gaze of all those surrounding her. “Because I know I have the best jumpers in the LCDF before me. I have full confidence that all of you will preform your duties to the utmost of your ability. As you CO I stand before you with the promise that I will be the first in and last out on any op. We stand together,” She gave Edric a pointed look. “as one unit, as one family. Trust each other, remember your training, and we will get through this just fine.” Fareeha threw a cheeky grin Angela's way. “Lets make sure Dr. Zeigler is bored the whole time.”

“You are most considerate Lieutenant.” Angela replied sarcastically, and the squad shared a laugh.

“Okay, coms check. Sync to channel 041. Let's try to keep the chatter to a minimum.” 

There was a chorus “Yes ma'am” as they all switched to the appropriate channel. Angela fiddled with her halo, which served as her receiver unit. Fareeha preformed a quick mic test and received nods of affirmation from the group. She then gave the order to mount up, and the squad filed over to the shuttle. They climbed aboard single file, Fareeha being the last on behind Angela. Once inside she pressed the button to close the door, and took her seat at the front of the passenger bay. The Manta class shuttle had a moderately sized passenger bay, normally fit to carry a platoon of 40 marines. The squad was divided into two sections, taking seats on either side of the craft. As section leaders, Tariq and Saleh sat at the back on opposite sides. Fareeha and Angela were seated at the front, facing backwards, and next to the doors.

“Hello folks, this is your pilot speaking.” Lena's voice sounded over the intercom. “I'd like to welcome you aboard and thank you for flying Slipstream airways. Please ensure all luggage is properly stowed in the overhead compartments and take your seats. The seat belt light will be on shortly so please buckle up.”

Angela giggled at Lena's display. She noticed Fareeha looking at her with a very tender and caring expression, causing her to blush and turn away. The shuttle hummed to life, shaking slightly as the engines warmed up.

“Okay folks we have received clearance for take off. The seat belt light is now on so please buckle up if you haven't already.”

“When does the drink cart come round?” Saleh yelled from the back.

“Unfortunately due to budget cuts the drink cart will not be making an appearance on today's flight.” There was a chorus of boos from the squad. 

“That's too bad,” said Fareeha, “Tariq fights better drunk.”

“You wound me LT.” was his reply

“Apologies for that, but I've just been informed that drinks are on Lieutenant Amari once you get back.” Lena teased.

Fareeha narrowed her eyes. “Lena you little shit.” She muttered under her breath. Angela laughed.

“Does that include me too?” she asked playfully.

Any further attempt at conversation was cut of as Lena throttled up the engines and began to exit the hanger. They sat in silence, each in their own thoughts as the shuttle slipped soundlessly through space towards the planet. A short while later the roar of the engines was heard again and the hold began to vibrate. Both Anthanebians were deep in prayer, while Kip ran a diagnostic on his rifle.

“We've just hit the upper atmosphere, things are gonna get bumpy.” Lena said, using the radio rather than the intercom.

As they descended the turbulence became more intense, throwing the ship about.

“Apologies luv's, some very strong cross-winds right now. Should get better once we get to jumping altitude.”

Fareeha said nothing, this was par for the course for jumpers. She gave a quick glance over the squad, seeing only grim faces. She turned to Angela beside her, to find her gritting her teeth and a death grip on her staff. Fareeha reached over and squeezed Angela's forearm in reassurance while giving her a small smile. Angela mouthed a silent 'thank you' and her posture seemed to relax a bit.  
Lena gave the ten minute warning, and the turbulence subsided significantly. The jumpers began to check weapons and equipment.

“Five minutes to target!” A red light came on in the bay. Fareeha stood up, Angela following suit.

“Stand up!” she yelled, while extending her arms out and motioning upwards. The squad rose in unison, turning to face Fareeha.

“Equipment check!” She tapped her shoulders with her hands.

They busied themselves running suit diagnostics and doing a visual scan of the soldier next to them. 

“All systems good, green across the board.” her suit told her. Angela tapped her shoulders twice indicating she had found nothing wrong. Fareeha turned around and inspected her in turn, tapping twice as well. Once that was completed she turned to the squad. She brought her hands up and cupped them on her ears.

“Sound off for equipment check!” she yelled.

One by one the squad numbered themselves off and confirmed they were good to go. Working from back to front, Fareeha was the last to sound off.

“One okay!” she shouted. The remaining four minutes seemed to take hours. Everyone was silent, tense and focused on what lay ahead. Some fidgeted, others played with bits of equipment. Fareeha traced the patterns on her rocket launcher, while Angela ran her fingers up and down the length of her staff.

“60 seconds out!” said Lena over the radio. The doors on either side of the bay hissed open. The wind whistled loudly as the shuttle whipped through the air. “DZ looks empty, best of luck down there.”

With 30 seconds remaining Fareeha ordered everyone to standby. She stood by the left door, Angela on the right.

“20 seconds, Green on my mark.” said Lena.

Angela and Fareeha gripped the door frames of their respective exits in preparation. 

“15 seconds!” Fareeha licked her lips in anticipation.

“10 seconds!” Angela cracked her neck.

“5” Fareeha closed her eyes.

“4”

“3” Angela stood on her toes.

“2”

“1” Fareeha opened her eyes.

“Mark!” The green light came on. Angela and Fareeha threw themselves out of the shuttle and began their decent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a bit longer than intended. I debated splitting it up but decided not too. As always thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think!! Lots of action in store for the next chapter, I'm really looking forward to writing it!
> 
> ps. So the aliens. As I mentioned last chapter, the Imari are Avian massive #16 on the Stellaris wiki. I think I mentioned at the end of chapter 1 what the Anathanebians were but I'll post it again. They are reptilian slender #2, the Pelx-Crandonians are avian massive #12, the Yondarim are avian normal #10, the Savi'quast are arthropoid slender #9 and the Caphevad are fungoid slender #1.
> 
> pps. no the masked man at the beginning is not roadhog so don't worry
> 
> ppps. Fareeha is using the Anubis skin, and Angela is using her skin from the summer games event, which I was lucky enough to get


	6. First Contact Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! The battle kind of ballooned as I wrote it, so I decided to split it into two parts. The good news is that the next chapter (part 2) is 2/3's done so hopefully it won't be a month before the next update (RL issues permitting of course).

Falling.  
Fareeha was falling.  
The ornamentation on her braids clanked against the black steel of her helmet, as they flailed wildly in the wind. The desert highlands of Colmar IV were laid out spectacularly before her, as if she was looking at a life size atlas. She glanced to her side to check on Angela. A blissful smile was on her face, and she appeared to be laughing, despite the rushing air drowning out all noise. Fareeha caught Angela's eye, and offered her a small smile, which Angela warmly returned. Fareeha felt her heart skip a beat, and a warm fuzzy sensation began to creep through her belly. Angela winked at her, and with a slight motion of her shoulders began to gracefully spiral around Fareeha as they fell. Looking back, Fareeha would remember this as the moment she fell hopelessly in love with Angela. She fluttered about with such grace and ease, but her expression remained carefree. She seemed so free, so untroubled by memories or responsibility. Fareeha resolved to do all she could to put that look on Angela's face as often as possible.

The ground grew ever closer, and her suit's programming kicked in. The jets on her back roared to life, slowing her decent. Manual control on jumps like this only happened in the last few meters, where a mistake would only result in bruises rather than death. As her decent slowed, Fareeha scanned the drop zone below her. It was a small table shaped hill, and overlooked a blackened crater where the distress signal had originated from. To the north west of the crash site a small ridge rose above the sandy wastes and boulder fields. A dry river bed lay in between the crash site and a small abandoned mining camp. It was nestled in a L-shaped bend in the river. A rusty and dilapidated chain-link fence surrounded a dozen identical prefabricated shelters, while four ominous looking watch towers stood in corners of the perimeter fence. In the center of the camp was a large dome shaped building with an antenna sticking straight into the air. The hexagonal glass paneling had long since been blown out, giving it a skeletal appearance. What was left of the gate stood in the middle of the western facing fence, and the remains of a road headed due west over a crumbling concrete bridge.

Her suit indicated it was handing over control, and she eased it down the last few meters. Her landing was not the most graceful, the added weight of the MK V meant she hit the ground a little harder than intended. She dropped to one knee and let the suit absorb the shock of impact. The jets on her back kicked up dust as they powered down, temporarily blinding her. A hand appeared out of the storm of dirt, and she took it graciously. Angela was nearly pulled on top of her as Fareeha got to her feet.

“They are heavier than they look.” Fareeha chuckled.

“And here I was going to ask what you had for breakfast.” Angela teased. Fareeha was glad the Jackal's head visor hid much of her face and the blush spreading across it. 

If Angela said anything more Fareeha didn't hear it. It was lost in the cacophony of noise and dust created as the rest of Helix squad arrived. Fareeha waited a moment for the dust and noise to die down before calling out “Helix squad, sound-off!”

Saleh replied first. “Helix 2 here.”

“Helix 3 reporting in.” said Tariq.

One by one the rest of the squad reported in, Angela being the last. 

“Mercy here.”

“Form up,” Fareeha ordered. “Line abreast. Tariq your section on the left, Saleh on the right.” They nodded and barked out orders for their respective sections.

“Mercy and Delyinn in the center with me.” She glanced over the group. “Kodlak on point, Greene behind him.”

“Yes ma'am.” they chorused. 

“Helix squad, move out!”

They trudged down the hill towards the pod. Fareeha kept her eyes peeled to the horizon, scanning for any sign of movement or hint of an ambush. The captain had warned her to expect trouble and Fareeha wanted to take no chances. Up ahead Kodlak held up a closed fist, signalling a halt. They dropped to their knees, weapons at the ready. Fareeha crouched and ran up to him.

“Got something?” she asked.

He pointed to a spot near the pod.

“Fresh wiring ma'am.” 

“How do you know?”

“The state the pod is in indicates it is very unlikely that anything combustible survived the crash ma'am. Any wiring should have had its plastic covering burned off.” He indicated a line between the point and the pod. “My guess is it's a connection of some sort between a sensor and something in or under the pod.”

Squinting, Fareeha took a closer look at the spot. Sure enough she could make out a tiny spec of red and blue.

“Kip and Goldeye up front!” she ordered.

The two Pelx-Crandonians jogged over.

“Kodlak has spotted some wiring that looks fresh. Have a quick look and see if anything shows up on IR.”

They nodded, and adjusted the special face visors they wore to protect their eyes from daylight. They were silent for a moment, before Baleroc warbled something in their native tongue. Kip nodded and turned to Fareeha.

“There is a small heat source underneath the pod ma'am. About the size of a Kap'yorr. Can't really make out much more than that with the sun still up.”

“A what?” Delyinn asked.

“A Pelx-Crandonian egg.” Angela answered. “About the size of a cantaloupe.”

Fareeha nodded. “That's fine. We'll play it on the cautious side just to be safe.” She turned to Norman, who was restlessly fiddling with the safety on his rocket launcher. “Private when I give the word toss an EMP grenade in there.”

“Yes ma'am.” He replied, and pulled a blue cylindrical object off the bandoleer he wore. Fareeha motioned for the squad to move back several meters to avoid the blast. When she was sure everyone was at a safe distance she ordered Norman to throw it. He pressed a small red button on the grenade and hurled it at the pod. It made a hollow metallic thunk upon impact, and then fell to the ground. A few seconds passed, and a blue light flashed in the crater indicating the EMP pulse had gone off. Fareeha motioned for the squad to stay put. She strained her ears, and sure enough she heard an audible click.

“Get down!” She shouted before throwing herself onto the sandy ground. There was an explosion which ripped the pod in half. Sand, rocks and chunks of metal were thrown several meters, bouncing harmlessly off the Raptora suits. Fareeha spat out a mouthful of sand, and washed her mouth out using the camel-back bladder inside her suit. Her voice cut through the silence that had descended after the blast.

“Headcount!”

One by one the members of Helix squad got to their feet, indicating they were not injured. Fareeha internally sighed in relief. 

“Dead-man's switch.” said Darys. “Fail-safe in case someone cuts the power like we did.”

“They have done this before,” Saleh replied, “And will keep at it until someone like us stops them.”

Fareeha surveys the wreckage. The pod had been blasted in half, with innumerable smaller chunks littering the area. Whatever data it contained was now lost. Kodlak called her over to the far side of the pod.

“These tracks look fresh.” he said, pointing to the faint ruts in the dirt. “Almost no wind damage and very little in the way of dust deposits. I'd say made withing the last 24 hours.”

“They lead to the mining camp.” said Tariq, coming abreast of Fareeha with Saleh. “Likely a base of sorts for whatever group set the trap.”

“Then that's where we are going.” Fareeha said. “Hard and fast.”

She pulled out her binoculars from their compartment on her left arm. They unfolded in her hands, extending to their full size. Looking thought them, she scanned the camp for any sign of activity. Finding nothing, she passed them to Tariq. 

“You and Saleh have a look. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.”

“Anyone else hear that?” Fareeha turned to find Angela looking puzzled.

Fareeha held up a hand and tapped her ears. The squad fell silent, listening intently. The only noise Fareeha could pick up was the occasional gust of wind. Angela must be hearing thi-

“There!” Angela said excitedly, “That beep. Did anyone else hear that?”

When everyone indicated they had not her face fell a little.

“I'm not making this up, I swear.”

“Keep an ear out everyone,” Fareeha said. “You can never be too careful. Specialist Brightmoore, you look like you want to say something.”

“Yes ma'am. Lieutenant commander Zeigler if-”

“Dr. Zeigler or even just Angela is fine.” The good doctor cut in, “My rank is more of a formality than anything, especially in the field.”

“Dr. Ziegler,” Delyinn continued, “May I have a look at your halo?”

“Of course.” She detached the feature from her head, passing it, and the earpiece connected to it, to Delyinn. “May I ask what for?”

“I have a hunch regarding the beeping you were hearing.”

“How long will this take specialist?” Fareeha asked.

“No more than a couple minutes” Delyinn reassured her. Fareeha turned to Saleh.

“Have your section investigate whats left of the pod. Tariq set up a perimeter with eyes on the ridge and camp, I don't want anyone sneaking up on us while we are so exposed.”

They nodded in unison and went to organize their sections. She turned back to Delyinn and Angela, who were in conversation with one another.

“What channels do you have synced to it?” Delyinn asked and she opened an access panel. The sun glinted off the polished red surface of the halo as it moved.

“Standard LCDF frequencies, as well as mission specific ones.” Angela answered.

“Any non-military?” Delyinn asked as she put the earbud in.

“Various emergency frequencies used by civilians, same as any paramedic would use.”

Fareeha fidgeted impatiently, this was taking to long. It didn't help that they were in a very exposed position with little cover. Saleh strode over to her. 

“Find anything?” She asked. He shook his head in response. “Lets get moving then.” She pointed at the ridge overlooking the camp. “Up there will give us a god look at the surrounding area. Del can you fix and walk?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“Alright lets move, resume the previous formation. Helix squad, move out!”

The squad began to walk towards the ridge. As they walked, Fareeha noticed that Angela kept glancing nervously back at Delyinn who was still fiddling with the halo. Fareeha decided to step in.

“It's okay,” she said quietly to Angela, “Delyinn has the highest technical exam score in over 30 years. If anything is wrong she can find it.”

Angela seemed to relax a bit.

“It just feels weird to be planet-side, in full armor, without it on my head.”

Fareeha gave her a warm smile.

“I know the feeling.”

“I should apologize for all the trouble. I triple check my gear before every mission, I'm not sure how this slipped past me.”

Fareeha gave Angela's shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

“It's okay.” She said “I'm actually surprised nobody has had any suit problems yet. The MKV's are known as 'Hanger Queens' because they have so many technical issues that they spend most of their time in maintenance.”

“Thanks.” Angela smiled back, and placed her hand over Fareeha's on her shoulder. “I appreciate the kind words. It's still a little embarrassing when stuff like this happens.”

“Stuff breaks.” said Fareeha with a shrug, and turned her hand to grasp Angela's. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tariq making a gagging motion to Edric. She spoke her next words much louder. “Just be sure to ask Tariq about the time his 'shit chute' failed mid jump.”

Fareeha smirked as Tariq sputtered and turned red, causing Angela to laugh. She made a mental note to reduce the PDA with Angela while on a mission.

“Got it!” exclaimed Delyinn. She held the halo out for Angela to take. “One of the civilian channels you had was picking up broadcasts from the survey beacon in the camp over there. The beeping you heard was it sending data out in regular intervals” She pointed to the radio antenna extending up from the domed building. “I'm surprised it's still on. In fact it shouldn't be on because an antenna of that size requires a substantial power source...” she trailed off.

“Which means we are not alone here.” Fareeha finished. She signaled the squad to halt, before dropping down on one knee. “Del get Calgary on the line, I want air support at the ready in case things go bad and call for a bird with an EMP bomb. Also let them know I want a word with Captain Morrison ASAP.”

“New plan LT?” Saleh inquired.

“Yes.” she said, and grabbed the small holo-map projector from her belt. She placed it on a relatively flat section of ground and pressed a button. A small holographic representation of the surrounding area appeared. Using her hands to manipulate the image she zoomed in on the camp. Her brow creased as she studied the image, plan of action forming in her mind. She wasn't aware that Angela had taken her place behind her until she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. Fareeha turned her head, to see Angela looking back at her with a warm smile. One hand was on her staff, which had one end planted firmly on the ground and Angela was leaning into it. The hand that had been on Fareeha's shoulder was now on Angela's hip. Hips that were, Fareeha reckoned, to die for. The sun was behind Angela, framing her silhouette perfectly. Fareeha felt her jaw go slack for a brief moment, and a blush began to creep onto her cheeks causing Angela to smirk. 

“Orders, Lieutenant?” she asked playfully.

“Yes. Orders. Right.” Flustered, Fareeha turned back to the map and tried to push the traitorous from her mind. 

“Focus Fareeha,” she said to herself, “Lives depend on it.” 

“LT?” Tariq looked concerned.

“I'm fine corporal, don't worry.” She turned back to Angela. “Have you had much experience with urban combat?”

Angela shook her head.

“Not in a long time, at least 15 years.”

“Right, you will stay with myself and Delyinn.” Angela nodded.

“Gather round!” she ordered, and the squad circled up around her. 

“Okay new plan. Whoever planted that bomb is likely using this camp,” she gestured to the map, “as a base. My guess is they spooked when we jumped in system and are likely hiding somewhere nearby. The base is likely rigged with many more surprises like the one in the pod so I've had Delyinn call for a bird with an EMP bomb. When it gets here, it will drop the EMP right over the camp, disabling any booby traps that might be present or causing them to detonate prematurely. Saleh will then take his section and fly to the north side, while Tariq's section does the same to the south. Both sections will drop at the same time and begin to clear the buildings.” Fareeha paused, wet her lips, and resumed the briefing. “Work in teams of four, with no more than two per building. Check your targets, we don't know if they have any hostages. Keep an eye out for anything that might shed light on who has been using this place. The EMP should fry the electronics but the techs on the Calgary still might be able to salvage something. Meanwhile Delyinn, Dr. Zeigler and myself will set up an overwatch perimeter. Any stragglers you spook and flush into the open will be taken care of by us. Kip and Baleroc,” she pointed to the two Pelx-Crandonians, “will take up a sniper position on the southeast tower.” She looked them both in the eyes. “Keep a sharp eye on the ridge to the east, any sign of movement you light them the fuck up. Fallback point once the camp is clear, or if we get jumped by hostiles will be the southeast tower.” Fareeha paused again, letting the words sink in. “Any questions?”

Saleh held up his hand. “Shoot corporal.” she said.

“We're gonna be spread pretty thin on the ground LT.” His face was grim. “Especially if Kip and Baleroc are pulled out of my section.”

“I know but I don't see much alternative. I doubt we will find anyone in the camp but that ridge,” she pointed to the feature on the map, “dominates the whole area. An attack from there would pin us down very quickly. I need our best eyes on it so that if we do get bounced, and I think there is a good chance that we will, it will be from there. Our best chance of getting out of an ambush like that is going to depend on a rapid response and that depends on spotting the attack the moment it starts.”

Saleh seemed to accept this answer, if somewhat reluctantly.

“It's a shitty situation I know.” Fareeha continued. “We are essentially bait to lure them out so the flyboys can fry them, but I have complete faith in all of you.” she echoed her words from earlier. “Watch each others backs, Remember your training, and we will get through this just fine.” She looked them all in the eye one last time, finishing with Angela, to whom she winked. “You have your orders, let's get ready to move.”

There was a chorus of “Hooorah” and they stood up. Delyinn came to Fareeha's side.

“The FC scrambled half of Red Fox squadron's gunships, Tracer will drop the EMP with the Slipstream,” Delyinn told her. “Plus two other Mantas on case-evac standby.” She handed Fareeha the phone-like mouthpiece. “Reinhardt is on the line, he said the Captain was busy.”

“Sir this is Pharah do you copy?”

“I copy Lieutenant, what do you need?” Even over the radio his gruff voice had a comforting fatherly effect on Fareeha.

“Sir I'm requesting permission to EMP a suspected pirate camp, followed by an airborne assault. I also am requesting permission to call in air support, potentially danger close.”

There was a pause on the line, and Fareeha cracked her neck to occupy herself.

“I copy, as XO I am authorizing you to use whatever force you deem necessary, as instructed by the Captain. He would have liked to do so himself but he is currently in a verbal sparring match with Admiral Sato. Seems the Admiral doesn't approve of our delay. He's demanding we leave immediately. When I left the room he had just called Morrison a 'glory seeking fool'.”

Fareeha shook her head in disbelief.

“What the fuck does that two faced piece of-” Reinhardt cut her off.

“Remember this is an official channel Lieutenant. We can continue this discussion at a later date.”

“Yes sir, sorry sir. Pharah out.” She handed the mouthpiece back to Delyinn. “Glory seeking fool. Who the fuck does he think he is.”

“Trouble?” Saleh asked. Fareeha realized that the whole squad had seen the outburst.

“Just the brass being morons.” she answered.

“So business as usual then.” 

The squad chuckled at Angela's remark.

“Everyone ready?” Tariq and Saleh gave her the thumbs up. Fareeha turned to Delyinn. “Call the bird in.”

“Slipstream this is 'Double Helix' requesting an EMP on the cluster of buildings at map sector Lima 4.”

“Copy that Double Helix, starting my run now. Will need you to mark the target luv.” 

“Paint it like an easel Baleroc.” The Pelx-Crandonian moved to comply with Fareeha's order, pulling out his spotting scope. He aimed it at the central dome, shining a small spotting laser onto the base of the antenna.

“Paint it like an easel? Really? Is that the best you can do?” Angela teased.

“You try next time.” Fareeha shot back.

“Maybe I will.”

“I look forward to it.”

“I like her” Tariq added. “Can we take her out on every mission?”

“I have been known to succumb to bribery.” Angela supplied with a grin. She gave Fareeha a meaningful look. “Especially if it's edible.”

“30 seconds out,” said Delyinn, phone to her ear, “Tracer is coming in from the west.”

“What kind of edible bribery are we talking about?” Fareeha asked, while keeping her eyes focused on the camp.

“Well I'm Swiss, so chocolate or cheese would be a safe option. Or coffee. Or wine.” Angela almost said “or you.” but she bit her tongue down at the last minute. This mission was already enough of a disaster in terms of keeping things professional already.

“I'll keep that in mind.” Fareeha replied. 

Lena's shuttle appeared in the sky at that moment. It approached the camp, dropping its payload several hundred meters out. Lena pulled up and gunned the engines, quickly disappearing from view. The small metal cylinder, guidance fins fully extended, tumbled rather gracefully towards the central dome. Fareeha tracked its progress, and listened as Baleroc gave a countdown to impact. When he reached '1' an audible clank was heard as the bomb hit the base of the antenna. There was a blue flash of light, and an fizzy electric thump. Then silence. Fareeha tensed, but motioned for the squad to stay where they were.

“The beeping has stopped,” Angela said, “so it must have hit something.”

A dull thud was heard, followed by two more in rapid succession. Smoke began to rise from one of the prefabs along the north fence. Silence descended again for a few moments only to be interrupted by another series of explosions, this time around the perimeter fence.

“Mines.” Fareeha answered when Angela asked what they were. “We'll need to keep and eye on our footing, there might be some that don't have electronic detonators.” She turned to Darys. “It's your lucky day, I'm pulling you of building duty. Do a full scan of the perimeter with your detector, we'll cover you from the air.”

Darys nodded, and removed a cylindrical instrument from her back. She pressed a button and it extended out to the length of a quarterstaff with a small sensor pad on one end.

“How much longer are we going to wait?” Angela asked.

The camp answered for here, as a large explosion consumed one of the western prefabs. 

“We should be good now, most dead-mans switches don't last more than a minute.” Darys answered. Fareeha nodded. 

“Prepare to jump on my mark.” She glanced over the squad one last time. “Mark.”

The sound of jet engines drowned out all other noise as Helix squad took to the air in unison. Once they were a few hundred feet in the air they separated into three groups. Saleh and his section pulled out ahead, with Kip and Baleroc peeling off when they passed the southwest tower. Tariq and his section held back, to make sure they hit the ground at the same time as the northern group. Darys, who was part of Tariqs section, stayed in the air and began a slow methodical sweep over the compound. Angela, Delyinn and Fareeha stayed in the air as well, but much higher up. They kept their eyes peeled on the ground, looking for any sign of movement. Every time Fareeha saw a door get kicked in, she flinched, expecting to see her comrades engulfed in a fiery explosion. One by one, the prefabs were cleared and with each building secured Fareeha visibly relaxed. Darys finished her sweep soon after the first few buildings had been cleared and flew up to join the overwatch group. When the last unit was cleared Fareeha sighed with relief, earning a playful shove from Angela.

“Helix 2 and 3, anything to report?” she asked. Tariq replied first.

“My side is all clear. Definite signs of habitation in the prefabs but whomever was here bugged out fast. We found half eaten bowls of food in several units. No weapons but Edric came across a couple of ammo crates in the domed building, along with a portable generator.”

“I'll send Darys down to help dispose of them.” Fareeha motioned to the Imari, who promptly peeled off towards the dome. “Anything to add to that Saleh?”  
“Same as Tariq for the most part. Signs of habitation and a hasty departure. No weapons or ammo on my side but we did find some computers with some strange markings on them. They look to be in good shape, although I imagine the EMP will have fried most of the internal components.”

“Pick them up and bring them to the rally point, Bastion and the techs on the Calgary might be able to salvage something from them.”

“Affirmative. Anything else you want LT? Or are we done here?”

“I think we are done, assemble at the rally point.” Fareeha led the airborne trio in an arc to land near the tower. She turned to Delyinn. “Call in the shuttle, and we can-”

“Ma'am multiple armed individuals approaching from the east.” It was Kip. Fareeha felt her stomach drop out. “They look like pirates or mercs, hard to tell.”

“Intentions?”

“Unknown. ROE?”

Fareeha didn't hesitate. “Engage. They will try to overrun us before the shuttle gets here.” 

The sound of Kip's high velocity anti-material rifle cut through the relative silence. Fareeha grabbed her binoculars and scanned the river bed. What she saw alarmed her. “There must be a hundred of them.” She turned to Delyinn. “Queue up some air support and inform the Calgary we are under attack.”

“Yes ma'am.” Delyinn gave her a small salute.

As they got closer to the rally point Fareeha could see the pirates were firing wildly as they ran. It took her a moment to realize they were firing at her, until three bullets ricocheted off her chest plate. The impact jostled her a little bit. She turned to Angela.

“We gotta get ground-side right now, stick close to me.” She angled straight down and fired her boosters, the force of landing nearly knocked her helmet off. Delyinn managed little better, cursing loudly.

“Fucking heavy ass MKV piece of shit.” Fareeha had to agree with her. The lack of flight training time was becoming hazardous. 

Angela landed far more gracefully beside them. She had drawn her pistol, while keeping her staff behind her in the other hand. Together they made a beeline for the western fence. By now Saleh and Tariq had deployed their sections along the western side of the camp. Tracers filed the air as Helix squad returned fire in a disciplined fashion. The pirates began to fall, bodies tumbling like rag-dolls as some were hit by multiple rounds. Reaching the fence Fareeha fired rocket after rocket, taking out clumps of enemies, their bodies disintegrating in fiery explosions.

“If they reach the river bank we are gonna need some cover!” Saleh shouted from where he was crouched. As if to illustrate his point, a bullet clipped his visor, knocking him to the ground. Angela sprinted over, spraying fire from her pistol as she ran. She reached Saleh, who by now was sitting up. 

“I'm fine, I'm fine.” He told her. She frowned, and wiped away the blood from a small cut above his left eye.

“Looks like a splinter clipped your forehead, stay still for a second.” Angela remained cool as ice, far more composed than any medic Fareeha had ever seen. She completely disregarded the chaos around her and used the staff to heal his forehead as bullets snapped and cracked in the air around them. By now the first pirates had reached the cover provided by the river bank and were starting to put accurate fire on Helix squad, forcing them into cover. Fareeha realized if they didn't act soon they would be completely pinned. She called for the engineer.

“Greenfeather!” Fareeha shouted. The Imari dashed over to her, firing bursts from her sub-machine gun. “We need some cover, think you could cut some holes in those prefabs?”

“The walls don't look to thick but it will still take time ma'am.”

“Start with that one.” She pointed to the prefab parallel to the western fence. “You have five minutes, go!” Darys ran to the building, stepping past Saleh at the door. The corporal had put his helmet back on and was leaning out the doorway, firing his pulse rifle at the river bank.

“Norman has the opposite door with Jorix.” He told Fareeha between bursts.

“The second Darys makes a hole I want Jorix using it for her LMG.” Fareeha replied from where she stood, in between the prefab and the southwest tower. Edric and Kodlak Had taken cover behind it, while Kip and Baleroc were still up top. Tariq, Krass and Vorax were crouched with Fareeha while Delyinn was behind Saleh's prefab. A bullet had hit her arm, and Angela was patching her up.

“It's getting pretty hot out here LT.” Tariq said as he slammed a fresh clip into his rifle. “Don't you think we should get some cover?”

“They are going to flank us using the river bank as cover.” Fareeha replied. “Set you section up in the southern prefab, I'll cover you.” She pointed to the aforementioned structure, placed parallel to the southern section of fence. “And for fucks sake don't let them get around you!”

“Okay, assault team move.” Tariq, Vorax and Krass sprinted for the building. As they did Fareeha launched herself into the air. From above she could see the pirates were indeed starting to creep round to the south side. She emptied a clip of rockets into them, watching with grim satisfaction as they slammed into the river bank. Geysers of earth and body parts erupted at the points of impact, halting the flanking attempt for a brief moment. She landed at the base of the tower, next to Kodlak.

“There's too many of these fuckers LT!” Tariq called from the doorway. Deep down Fareeha knew he was right. She clapped Edric on the shoulder.

“Once Darys is done with Saleh's prefab I'm going to have her go to the southern one. Cover her as she head over, then follower her in.” He nodded and she turned to Kodlak. “Once he's in, you follow. “It's getting a little too hot out here.” 

She fired off another clip, before turning and yelling to Delyinn.

“Del I need that air support now. Everything you can give me onto the river bed.” She exchanged a look with Angela. “And tell Tracer it's too hot for extraction.”

“They need your clearance to do that!” Delyinn yelled back. "Lena's telling me she's still being vectored in."

"I already got clearance from Reinhardt!" Fareeha countered.

"Well someone hasn't told Red Fox one that."

Fareeha cursed under breath, now was not the time for pedantic bullshit like that.

“Okay, I'm coming over.” She waved at Tariq to get his attention, before indicating she needed covering fire. 

“Kip! Goldeye! Help cover the Lieutenant!”

Edric popped round the corner and fired a burst, before smacking Fareeha rather roughly on the shoulder. The metallic clank spurred her into action and she sprinted across the open ground towards Angela and Delyinn. She was halfway across when she heard Kip yell. 

“Rocket out!” 

She turned just in time to see a rocket slam into the ground jut behind her. The concussion knocked her off her feet and she landed face first in the dirt. She looked up to see a sight that made her heart do back-flips of pure joy. Angela dashed out, wings flared, firing her pistol as she did. Bullets snapped and hissed around her, which only seemed to darken the fierce expression on her face. She reached Fareeha, and extended a hand. Fareeha accepted it with a childish grin of wonder.

“What?” Angela asked when she saw it.

“You truly are an angel of battle, both beautiful and terrible to behold.”

Angela giggled and blushed, turning her head away in embarrassment. A bullet ricocheted off the ground by her feet.

“I didn't exactly picture this as our first date.” She said. “But we should get to cover.”

They ran back behind the prefab, where Delyinn was talking animatedly into the radio.

“Red Fox one I have hostiles advancing east on out position across a dry river bed at one five zero. Confirm lima one five zero.” Delyinn popped her head around the corner. “Advancing closer in at lima three five zero.” She offered the phone to Fareeha. “We are in danger close territory here ma'am.”

Fareeha snatched it and put it too her mouth.

“This is Helix Actual, confirm fire mission danger close as per XO Reinhardt's order. And call the shuttle off, it's too hot. If I'm asking for danger close fire support why the fuck would you think it's safe for a shuttle!” She handed it back to Delyinn. “Vaporize that river bed for me.” Delyinn peeked round the corner again as the first gunship streaked in from the south firing a volley of rockets at the pirates in the riverbed.

“Go get 'em navy!” Saleh shouted from the doorway.

“Saleh what's the status of that firing slit?” Fareeha asked as he ducked back inside.

“Just opened now LT!” he shouted back. “Greenfeather is moving to Tariq's position.”

Fareeha popped round the corner, and helped put down covering fire as the Imari dashed to Tariq's prefab. Edric followed suit, and Kodlak after him. Kodlak was two steps from the door when he was hit in the shoulder, knocking him down. Edric and Tariq rushed out and dragged him to safety. Angela made to run over, but Fareeha held her back. 

“Not yet, wait for Jorix.”

As if on queue Saleh's voice was heard from the prefab.

“Get that fucker running Jorix.” The Savi'quast operated the squad's MG-242, which up until now had been largely silent.

“Light 'em the fuck up Jor!” Fareeha shouted. Beside her, Angela fidgeted impatiently.

Troops who have had to attack a position with an MG-242 never forget the sound. Some liken it to sheets of cloth being ripped in half, others liken it to a zipper. LCDF personal nicknamed it 'The Harvester' because it mowed down enemies like a scythe through wheat. To Fareeha it is a very reassuring sound. Having that gun preforming it's grim harvest will keep the pirates heads behind the river bank for the moment. 

“Okay, now go.” She squeezed Angela's hand. “I'll cover you.” She popped round the corner, firing rockets from the hip. Angela made it to Tariq's position unharmed and ducked inside. Fareeha reloaded quickly, debating whether she should go too. Delyinn made up her mind for her.

“Ma'am Captain Morrison is on the line.” She handed Fareeha the radio.

“Pharah here sir.”

“What's the situation Lieutenant?” His voice was calm, but there was an intense undertone Fareeha had never heard from him before.

“We are in heavy contact with multiple armed hostiles, I suspect they are pirates sir. They have us pinned in an abandoned mining camp we think they were using as a base. One casualty at the moment but Mercy should have him back on his feet.”

The sound of a gunship on a strafing run drowned out the captain's reply.

“Did not copy, say again sir.”

“Can you hold?”

“We're spread thin sir, but we'll give 'em hell.”

“Good. I've scrambled the rest of the air wing for support. Unfortunately it sounds like they are too close in for us to use the Calgary's guns but Reinhardt and his crusader unit are suiting up as we speak.”

“Is there an ETA on that sir?”

“Looking at twenty minutes to half an hour. Hold the line Amari.”

“Yes sir, Pharah out.”

Fareeha handed the radio back to Delyinn. She leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

“Rocket out!” Her eyes shot open, and she looked round the corner in time to see a rocket streak over the tower, barely missing the structure.

“Kip! Baleroc!” She shouted, “Get the hell out of there. The rest of you cover them! I want fire superiority along the line.”

“Copy that LT!” Baleroc shouted back. He folded up his spotting scope, and started firing his assault rifle. Kip began the process of breaking down his anti-material rifle, a process that seemed painfully slow to Fareeha. She decided to take a risk, and activated her jets. Up above the chaos, she calmly picked her targets and fired. Rocket after rocket left her launcher, grinding the riverbank into gravel. She glanced at the tower, noting that Kip was starting down the ladder. Another clip leaves her launcher. Kip is at the bottom now, using his pistol as Baleroc begins the decent. Suddenly there was a sharp pain in her chest, and the impact spun her around. She lost altitude, and struggled to keep from crashing. She managed to land safely, and checked her suit for ruptures. An oval shaped section of paint was missing from her chest, where a high velocity round had glanced off the Raptora suit's hardened steel. 

“Incoming!” This time it was Tariq who spotted the rocket, which was headed straight for the tower. With growing horror Fareeha realized that Baleroc was only partway down the ladder. It slamed into the support column, sending chunks of concrete and steel flying in all directions. Kip managed to dive out of the way, but Baleroc was not so lucky. The explosion knocked him off the ladder and onto the ground. He didn't move. The tower teetered for a moment, and Fareeha sprinted towards the fallen Pelx-Crandonian but she was too late. With a mighty groan the top of the tower came crashing down, and Baleroc was in its path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late and the election news from south of the border is depressing so I will get around to editing this later, please forgive any mistakes. To my friends in the US, stay safe! I'm sending you my love and support. You will get through this!


	7. First Contact Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOO quick update! Here is part 2!
> 
> Trigger warning: There is an amputation, but it's very clear in the text when it's about to happen so if that freaks you out you should be able to skip it.

Most of the commotion had gone unnoticed by Angela inside the southern prefab. She was far to busy cleaning the bullet wound in Kodlak's shoulder. Her staff had nanites that would stop the bleeding and close the wound but she had to be sure she had removed the large chunks of metal first. The smaller fragments would be dissolved by the nanites, but anything larger that a few millimeters had to come out. It was frustrating slippery work and her hands were covered in blood. Anthanebian blood was dark green due to it's copper content and it now stained Angela's hands, Kodlak's armor and the floor of the prefab. The Raptora suit had absorbed most of the impact, thus the damage was mostly on the surface.

“Try to keep still.” She asked, forceps in hand. “I'm on the last fragment.”

Kodlak nodded and gritted his teeth as she re-entered the wound. Several agonizing seconds went by before she emerged triumphant.

“Aha! Got it!” She exclaimed, and held up the fragment for Kodlak to see. She placed it in a small plastic bag with the rest. She then sealed it and put it into a pouch on her belt.

“I'll give those to you as a souvenir once I've run a quick scan on them.” Kodlak nodded. Angela picked up her staff from where it lay on the ground.

“You are going to feel an itching sensation while the wound is closing. Do not scratch or pick at it.” She said, sternly looking him in the eye. “And once we get back aboard the Calgary you come straight to the medical bay so I can make sure it healed properly.”

“Yes ma'am.” He replied. “Is it not a human custom to give me a piece of candy as a reward?”

Everyone within earshot, which was most of Tariq's section, laughed. Even Angela, who had heard every possible doctor joke in the book.

She powered up her Caduceus staff, and aimed it at the hole Kodlak's shoulder. The head of the staff began to rotate, emitting a soft hum. A golden stream of nano-machines emerged from the tip, going straight for the wound. Within seconds the wound was healed, leaving fresh unmarked skin over what had been a bloody hole. The only evidence that anything had been wrong was the hole in Kodlak's armor. Angela switched off the staff and leaned in close to inspect her handiwork. She clucked her tongue as she poked and prodded the skin with her gloved fingers.

“All good?” Kodlak asked. Angela nodded.

“Looks like it. Just remember to-”

“Come and see you as soon as I get on ship.” he finished with a smile. “Thanks doc, I won't forget this.”

“All in a days work.” Angela smiled and clapped his shoulder. “Get back into the fight soldier.”

He picked up his rifle and stood up. Tariq wordlessly pointed to the door at the other end of the prefab where Edric was crouched. Kodlak ran over and resumed the battle. Angela turned back to her hands, still slick with Kodlak's blood. She turned on her staff, the stream of particles turning red with the flick of a switch, and the blood coating her suit evaporated into nothingness.

“Mercy!” A voice from the doorway grabbed her attention. It was Kip, covered in dust and out of breath. “We need you outside, Baleroc is hurt bad.”

Angela nodded and stood up.

“Lead the way.”

She followed him outside, shielding her eyes from the momentary burst of glare. The air was thick with dust, making it hard to breath. She grabbed her clear plastic filter mask from her belt and put it on, allowing her to breath properly. It was quiet, an eerie calm seemed to have descended over the battlefield. The stillness was shattered as another gunship roared over head on a strafing run, but there was still little firing. Kip led her over to a prone form. Only then did she realize what had happened. The southwest sentry tower had collapsed, falling parallel with the western fence-line. Twisted steel and jagged lumps of concrete littered the area. As she got closer to figure on the ground, the dust began to part and she was greeted with a gruesome sight. Baleroc was lying face down in the dirt with his arms splayed out, and one of his legs twisted in a way Angela knew was not natural to Pelx-Crandonian biology. The other leg was pinned from mid-calf down by a massive chunk of concrete that Angela estimated to be several tons in weight. 

Suddenly screams fill the air, and three pirates storm through the dust towards her cackling wildly. Angela didn't hesitate, drawing her pistol and dispatching the assailants with three well placed head shots. Their bodies crumpled to the ground with dull thuds. Another two came at her from behind and she whirled around while twirling her staff. She hit one under the chin with the end of her staff and he fell to the ground, stunned. The second got within arms reach of her before she shoved her pistol into his neck and pulled the trigger. A geyser of blood erupted from his back, and he fell to the ground gurgling. Kip quickly dispatched the stunned pirate, before turning to Angela.

“Where the hell did you learn to do that?”

“Med school.” Angela replied with a smirk, wiping the blood off her chin.

The silence was broken once again as a storm of fire erupted around them, forcing Angela and Kip to take cover behind the ruins of the tower next to Baleroc. Fareeha and Delyinn rushed over from behind the prefab.

“Kip get you weapon back in action!” She ordered. “Angela will handle this.” When Kip hesitated, glancing at Baleroc's body, Fareeha added “He'll be okay, right doc?”

Angela wasn't so sure, especially when she had yet to examine him; Nevertheless she put on a brave face.

“I'll do my best.”

Kip removed his visor, looking her in the eyes. 

“You need anything, blood or tissue, I'll be there.” He put his visor back on. He reached down and squeezed Baleroc's hand, murmuring something in his native tongue, before running over to where Tariq was beckoning. Angela removed her mask, as the dust had largely settled or dispersed. Fareeha placed a comforting hand on Angela's shoulder as she began to examine Baleroc.

“Call in everything we have Del,” she said. “I want those fuckers heads down!”

“They are in too close, the gunships can't tell friend from foe right now.” Delyin replied, slight note of panic in her voice.

“Tell them to nuke anything without a strobe. We are a lot more durable than a normal marine unit, the Raptora suits will absorb stray shots.” She pressed a small button on her wrist, activating the infra-red strobe mounted on her suit. “Strobes on!” she yelled.

Her call was echoed by Saleh and Tariq, and within seconds the entire squad was marked.

“Red Fox One has a visual on the strobes.” Delyinn confirmed, “They are resuming their runs.”

By now Angela had completed her a brief assessment. The prognosis was not good.

“He's alive.” she told Fareeha. “But in rough shape. The impact likely gave him a nasty concussion. His suit's vitals are telling me he has at least 3 broken ribs but no signs of internal bleeding, which is good.” She paused as a bullet ricocheted off the concrete near her head. “His left leg is broken in two places, and his right has been crushed completely from the calf down.”

“Case-evac worthy?” Fareeha asked.

“Yes most definitely.” She turned to Fareeha, frowning. “Getting him there might be difficult.”

“I'll get them to land east of the compound, where the fire isn't so heavy.”

“That's not what I meant.” Angela pointed to the crushed leg. “That won't be coming out easy, if at all.”

“Fuck.” Fareeha let out a tired sigh. “It looks too heavy to move, but may-” The end of her sentence was cutoff as another Thunderbird gunship discharged a volley of rockets and cannon fire.

“Keep 'em coming Del!” Fareeha told the radio-woman, “And call in a case-evac.”

“It's too hot to land here,” Delyinn told her after a brief exchange with the flight controller, “FC is ruling out any landings until our lines are re-established.”

“Not even to the east?” Fareeha asked.

“Not even to the east.”

“Get one in orbit then, have it fly a holding pattern until we figure things out.”

“I wouldn't want to move him that far anyways.” Angela added, “Especially with what I think I'm going to have to do.”

“What did you have in mind? I'll help however I can.” Fareeha had turned to face her now, and had lifted her helmet up so her whole face was visible. Angela reached out and wiped the dirt from a small cut on her cheek.

“Shouldn't you be leading your squad?” Angela asked softly.

“Not much leading to be done right now, plus Saleh and Tariq are doing fine at the moment.” She rapped a knuckle on one of Baleroc's engines. “He needs me now more than anyone else.”

Angela nodded, and took a deep breath before speaking.

“I need Greenfeather's cutting laser.”

Fareeha nodded, and dashed off to find the specialist. She found Darys making the final cuts on a firing port in Tariq's prefab. Tapping her helmet to get her attention, Fareeha communicated to her through hand signals because the noise of firing at that moment was so loud in the confined space. Laser in hand she ran back to Angela, who had by now detached the wings and engines from Baleroc's suit and was treating the small cuts and abrasions on his face with her staff.

“Got it.” Fareeha told her. “Do you want me to start cutting the concrete?”

“No.” Angela replied firmly. “I need you to hold him down like this.” She demonstrated how to hold the head while immobilizing the shoulders. “His suit should provide sufficient support but I don't want him flailing if he regains consciousness.”

“Okay,” said Fareeha as she took up her position. “What are you planning to do?”

“Amputate below the knee.”

“What?! Can't we cut the concrete?”

Angela gave her a sympathetic look. 

“Believe me I wish we could.” She pointed to where the concrete had crushed his armor. “Unfortunately even with all the advancements in modern medical techniques I wouldn't be able to save the leg. Not only is it crushed by the concrete, but his armor has deformed and squished the flesh inside, much like what happens to a can of tuna when you hit it with a hammer. There is also piece of re-bar impaling it here.” She pointed to the spot, and Fareeha winced at the sight. “Do you have a combat knife handy?” Angela asked.

Fareeha retrieved it from its sheath inside her ankle plate. Angela gestured to Baleroc's neck.

“Cut some of his cat-suit and wedge it in his beak so he has something to bite down on in case he wakes up.”

Fareeha complied with Angela's instructions while Angela prepped her staff. She flicked a switch and turned it on. The nanite stream was green this time, and it encased Baleroc. 

“To dull the pain and heal the burns as I go.” Angela answered when Fareeha asked. Angela picked up the laser.

“Once I start I will not stop until the operation is complete.” She gave Fareeha a pointed look. “Ready?”

Fareeha tensed and nodded.

Angela powered on the laser and, with steady hands born of years of surgery, began to cut through the Raptora suit encasing Baleroc's leg. Sparks flew past her face as she made steady progress through the suit. Fareeha knew she had passed through the armor when the sickening smell of burnt flesh wafted her way. She grimaced, wishing she had a free hand to plug her nose. A Thunderbird swooped overhead, unleashing a volley of rockets very close to the tower. Angela didn't flinch, and moved her body over top of Baleroc's to shield it from the debris that rained down. Baleroc began to stir when Angela reached the bone, but her staff seemed to be doing it's job. He didn't cry out like Fareeha expected, rather he began to mumble incoherently.

Angela noticed.

“Talk to him.” She said, “Just keep him focused on you.”

As she opened her mouth to talk he passed out again.

“He's out.” She told Angela, “Is that bad?”

“He'll be drifting in and out of consciousness for the next little while, especially with the staff helping.”

Fareeha nodded, and Angela resumed her grim task. She found herself unable to look away, struck by morbid curiosity and genuine respect for how calm and focused Angela was. Her brow was knit in concentration and her tongue poked out of slightly parted lips. Fareeha's eyes tracked a single drop of sweat as it ran down the doctors forehead and onto her nose, pausing at the tip, before free falling onto Baleroc's armor below.

“Ma'am.” It was Delyinn. “Case-evac is in a holding pattern. The pilot wants to talk to you.”

“You hold then.” Delyinn assumed Fareeha's position over Baleroc while Fareeha picked up the receiver attached to Delyinn's radio pack.

“This is Pharah speaking, who is this?”

“Lieutenant this is Gunnery Chief Hana Song, call sign D.VA. I'm overhead.”

Fareeha looked up, and sure enough saw the silhouette of a Manta class shuttle circling overhead.

“Things look pretty hot down there, I hear your LZ is closed.”

“How does east of us look? There is plenty of room and the buildings shield shield you from fire.”

“How bad is he hit?”

“Pretty bad. Lost a leg, and the other one is broken. We'll have to carry-” Fareeha trailed off as Angela shook her head vigorously. 

“What's that? I didn't copy ma'am.”

“The doc is saying no we can't move him that far.”

“Copy that. I'm sorry Lieutenant but I can't land on top of you while the shooting is that heavy.”

Fareeha sighed and looked up at Angela, who was trying to get her attention. By now she had completed the amputation.

“I wouldn't be opposed to flying him up, as long as it's low level. The less he moves the better.”

Fareeha nodded.

“D.VA would you protest a jump extract? I know it's not standard procedure for a case-evac.”

“I'm game ma'am. I've seen Tracer do one before.”

“Copy that. Helix actual is requesting a jump extract, alpha mike 100, on my location.”

“Confirm, jump extract alpha mike 100. On station in sierra 300, I have a location lock.

“Copy that, Pharah put.”

Fareeha put the receiver back on its holder.

“We're going up, jump extraction in five minutes.” She told Angela.

Angela nodded in response.

“If possible I'd like to come with, to make sure patient transfer goes smoothly.”

“As long as you can keep up when I take off, I see no problem with it.” Fareeha raised an eyebrow. “What's the acceleration on that thing like?”

“It's enough.” Angela offered a tire smile. “I can sync the Valkyrie to your suit. When you take off, I will as well.”

“Do it, then get him ready to move.” Fareeha tapped Delyinn on the shoulder to get her attention. “Call in everything. Saturate the shit out of that riverbed, and drop some on the ridge too. That seems to be where the rocket fire is coming from. I want their heads down while the extraction is happening.”

She stood up, and stowed her rocket launcher in the holster between her wings.

“Saleh! Tariq! Up front!”

The two corporals were at her side in a few seconds.

“Okay here's the deal. We have a critical case-evac inbound for Baleroc. Angela and I will be preforming a jump extraction to the shuttle.” She held up a hand to forestall the questions she could see forming on their lips. “Del is calling in all the air cover we have to hit the river bed and the forward slope of the ridge.” She pointed at the small knobby formation outlined along the top of the ridge. “My guess is their spotter is near there. Get Kip to take them out.” 

She paused, wetting her tongue. 

“I want fire superiority along the line Keep their heads down, we can't afford them taking even the quickest of pot-shots at the shuttle. Light. Them. The. Fuck. Up.”

“What next LT?” Tariq asked. “To be frank we've been sitting on our asses here.”

“My thoughts exactly corporal.” Fareeha replied. “Once I give the word that Baleroc is transferred, we will go on the offensive. Tariq get Norman to lay down smoke on your side, then preform a right wheel with your section.”

“Anchor point?” he asked.

“The base of the fallen tower. Push them into the open and towards the ridge.”

“Two minutes ma'am.”

“Acknowledged Del.” Fareeha now turned to Saleh. “When Tariq is making his push I want your section to make the river bank position untenable. Use your suits rockets and annihilate their cover. Make them panic, these are not trained soldiers. They will break, and when they do, light them up.”

“Pharah a hand please.” Angela had Baleroc sitting upright now, and was trying to remove the over-sized shoulder guards. Fareeha clapped her two corporals on the shoulders.

“Get it done.” She smiled at them. “Move out.”

“What about you LT?” Saleh asked.

“Lets just say the forecast is cloudy with a chance of justice.” she replied with a wink, before returning to Angela's side.

“Help lift him up.” Together they hefted Baleroc to his feet, an arm around each of their shoulders. Angela handed her staff to Delyinn, and she clipped it onto the back of the Valkyrie suit.

“Thirty seconds, shuttle on final run.” she said.

“Suppressing fire!” Fareeha shouted. “Keep their heads down!”

The line erupted in a blaze of fire, forcing even the bravest pirate to go to ground. Fareeha tracked the incoming shuttle with her eyes, the HUD on her suit displaying the countdown to jump timer.

“I'm synced to you.” said Angela. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Seeing this, Fareeha gave her a brief smile.

“Ready?” she asks.

Angela bit her lip and let out a small sigh.

“Not entirely.”

“It'll be fine, just follow me.”

Fareeha fired up her jets, and Angela's wings extend fully in response.

“Here we go!” shouted Fareeha. She throttled up, her arms locked around Baleroc. Angela, who had never preformed this particular manoeuvre before, was terrified at first. Her stomach was somewhere on the ground below, and she could feel her suit straining to keep up with the much more powerful Raptora MKV beside her. She glanced at Fareeha, only to find her laughing with delight.

“I love this part.” She mouthed to Angela, voice lost in the roar of the wind.

Before Angela could ask what 'part' Fareeha means, the shuttle was right on top of them. Fareeha cut her jets and they rode the momentum briefly. Just before gravity got hold of them the shuttle swooped in below them. The roof hatch was open, and they fell inside. Fareeha flared her jets briefly and they landed gracefully on the floor. Lucio was inside, along with another doctor Fareeha doesn't recognize. They quickly topk Baleroc and put him on a stretcher. He was awake now, and gave Fareeha a small wave. She nodded back before heading to the cockpit while Angela updated the others on Baleroc's condition.

“That was some excellent flying!” She said.

Hana beamed in response.

“Thank you ma'am! I've always wanted to do one of those. I've just let your radio-woman know that you are safely aboard.”

Upon hearing her voice in person it hit Fareeha just how young Hana is. The girl cannot be more than 19, and is already a fully qualified pilot flying one of the most hazardous and demanding jobs in the LCDF.

“Can I ask you something?”

“I'm 19 and 4 months. Enlisted at 16 and yes I volunteered.” Hana relented a bit. “Sorry ma'am, didn't mean to sound so harsh. I just get that question a lot.”

Fareeha smiled.

“I know the feeling. Sometimes I think it would be easier to walk around with a shirt that says 'Yes I am Ana Amari's Daughter'”

Hana laughed. She took a hand off the controls and extended it to Fareeha.

“Hana Song.”

Fareeha shook it firmly.

“Fareeha Amari.” She glanced back to see Angela walking towards her. An idea, a crazy reckless and irresponsible idea but an idea nonetheless, began to form in her mind.

“What kind of gun package do you have on this?”

“Just a twin 20mm Gatlings on a rotary mount. Nothing to heavy, speed is more important than firepower. I might also add that this thing handles worse than a tranquilized elephant seal.”

“That's an oddly specific metaphor.” Angela said as she reached the cockpit.

“Long story.”

“I don't doubt that.”

“Would you like to do a brief gun run?” Fareeha asked Hana, the idea now fully formed in her head.

Hana smiled wickedly.

“Hell yes!”

 

 

A few moments later Fareeha is at the side door, Angela right beside her. The air rushed by her face as Hana steered the shuttle back towards the compound. She glanced at Angela, only to find the doctor staring back at her. Angela blushed and looked away quickly. She tucked some stray hairs behind her ears before meeting Fareeha's eyes, a sheepish grin on her face.

“See something you like?” Fareeha teased.

Angela shoved her playfully. Fareeha pretended to lose her balance, stumbling towards the edge. She righted herself at the last moment, chuckling at Angela's panicked expression. Sensing she might have genuinely worried the doctor, Fareeha decided to pull out the charm. Unfortunately her mind only goes one place.

“Ready to rain some justice from above?”

Angela laughed.

“You are so corny it hurts.”

Fareeha pretended to pout, which only made Angela laugh more.

“You love it.” Fareeha retorted with confidence. Sure enough Angela blushed and looked away, mumbling.

“Perhaps.”

“What's that? Couldn't hear you.” Fareeha said, shit eating grin plastered across her, in Angela's view, frustratingly adorable face.

“If you two are quite finished, we are 30 seconds out.” Hana reminded them over the intercom.

The shuttle entered the final approach to the battlefield. Out the door Fareeha can see Helix squad pursuing the pirates across the riverbed. At the push of a button on her control stick, Hana deployed the cannons out of their internal compartment on the underside of the shuttle. She pointed the nose of the shuttle at the suspected observation post Fareeha had spotted earlier. As they passed over the compound she cut the throttle and slammed her stick to the left. The shuttle's momentum carried it forward while rotating 180 degrees right as they passed over the knob. 

At that moment Fareeha and Angela launched themselves into a free-fall from the side door. As they fell Hana opens fire on the observation post, now clearly visible from this angle. Fareeha watched with grim satisfaction as the 20mm rounds vaporized the thermoptic camo fabric roof and the small group cowering under it. She took careful aim as she fell, unloading a clip into the structure. As the second rocket left her launcher she noticed a blue aura on the edge of her vision. Time seemed to slow down, and the pirates seemed to be fleeing in a very predictable manner, allowing her to hit bulls-eye after bulls-eye. When they landed on the now smoking ruin she turned to Angela, and found the source of the aura.

“You didn't tell me it could do that.” She said, pointing at her Caduceus staff, “That was amazing!”

Angela's face remained impassive.

“Don't get used to it.” She said.

Fareeha was genuinely confused.

“What do you mean?” She walked over to where the doctor stood, her posture stiff and rigid.

“The sensation caused by the nanites is highly addicting, and there are no studies on the long term affects repeated use can cause. So I have to use it sparingly.”

“That's not what's upsetting you.” Fareeha reached out and clasped Angela's hands. “I apologize, I seem to have touched a nerve.”

“No you are right. It's a long and complicated story best told off the battlefield.” Fareeha squeezed her hands and Angela seemed to relax a bit. “I would ask that you don't talk about this...capability with the rest of the squad. At least not yet.”

“Angela do you trust me?”

“With my life, I jumped out of a perfectly good shuttle for you after all.”

“And back into one.”

“Yes that too. So yes, I do trust you.”

“Then trust me to be discrete with this information as well. This isn't my first rodeo so to speak. Ana Amari is my mother after all, so I am more than familiar with the potential of this kind of tech.”

This seemed to be just what Angela wanted to hear. She sighed in relief, and pulled Fareeha into a hug. 

“I'm sorry to have made so much drama out of this. I've spent the better part of twenty years fighting to keep control of my tech, my invention. It's a sensitive subject.” She murmured into Fareeha's shoulder.

“No worries. We all have our secrets. Maybe if you stick around long enough I might tell you some of mine.”

Angela laughed at that. Fareeha glanced towards the compound once they had parted.

“We should get going.” She said. “Would you..” She hesitated.

“Would I what?” Angela inquired.

“Would you be willing to boost me one more time?” Fareeha asked, hopeful look on her face.

Angela pondered for a moment, toying with the gravel underneath her boots.

“I suppose once more couldn't hurt, especially if it ends the bloodshed sooner.” She looked up at Fareeha. “What did you have in mind?”

“Follow me, and boost when I call for it.”

Angela nodded.

“Okay, let's go.” Fareeha launched herself into the air, Angela following close behind. They gained altitude quickly, soon reaching the height they had jumped out of Hana's shuttle at. Fareeha then cut her engines. Below them the pirates where streaming back across the riverbed to reach the relative safety of the ridge. Very few had their eyes to the sky, and those that did failed to spot the danger until it was far too late. Above them Fareeha and Angela were in free fall. Then, a mere 100 meters above the ground, Fareeha ignited her jets. She kicked the Raptora suit into hover mode, causing the engine nacelles on her back to fully extend. Angela's wings flared as she came to a stop beside her.

“Now.” was all Fareeha said. The Caduceus staff whirled to life with a pleasant hum, and Fareeha was engulfed in the blue aura of nanites. Once again she felt time seem to slow and the world was laid out before her in crisp detail. She was able to take in every grain of sand, every slight gust of wind. Nothing escaped her eyes as she engaged Tactical Barrage mode on her suit. The HUD on her visor chirped as it entered targeting mode. She glanced from target to target, as the HUD tracked her eye movements and locked onto each body. Within seconds, thanks to the heightened awareness and reflexes from the nanites, she had locked onto every pirate below her in the riverbed. The corner of her mouth upturned in a crooked smile. She opened her coms.

“ROCKET BARRAGE INCOMING!”

With an explosive hiss, panels on her shoulders, thighs and torso opened to reveal rows of rockets. They left the suit six at a time, until all thirty were expended. The MKV Raptora carried a new type of internal guided rocket, each rocket capable of splitting into three separate individuals for a total of over ninety guided projectiles. As they streaked towards their targets, some splitting and others staying whole, Fareeha signaled Angela to stop boosting her. It took less than two seconds for the first rocket to hit its target, and no more than five for the last. Fifty-four pirates were blown to bits in less than three seconds. 

By the Fareeha and Angela landed on the ground all the pirated were dead. Torn and mangled bodies, many missing multiple limbs, were strewn out before them. The air reeked of rocket fuel, gunpowder and burnt flesh, a unique smell familiar to any soldier. Fareeha almost welcomed it, as a sign of a hard fought victory. She signaled for the rest of the squad to join her and Angela in searching the bodies for anything useful or important. A gunship shrieked overhead, wagging its wings in celebration. Three shuttles, led by the Slipstream, descended to land in the riverbed. All three lowered their ramps simultaneously, and Reinhardt and his Crusaders marched out in full armor. 

He hailed Fareeha with a hearty wave and strode over, all the while surveying the aftermath of the battle. By the time he reached her, Fareeha had been joined by Delyinn who was limping gingerly. Angela immediately sat her down and began to treat her.

“Got hit by an AP round just after you were picked up,” she explained, “Went clean through my calf.”

Angela fussed over the wound while Fareeha clapped Delyinn on the back.

“You did a hell of a good job today specialist, we all owe you big time.”

“Indeed,” Reinhardt chimed in, “All of you preformed admirably.” He looked around one more time. “Most admirably indeed. The captain is impressed.”

“Any word on Baleroc sir?” Fareeha asked. Angela diverted her attention from Delyinn to listen.

“He's stable, but the doctors would like Angela up there ASAP.”

“Then if you don't mind specialist,” Angela stood up, and extended a hand to Delyinn. “I'd rather finish this on the ship where it is much cleaner.”

“Lena will take you up.” Reinhardt told her.

With Angela's help, Delyinn hobbled towards the shuttle. Fareeha called out after her.

“Take care of my radio-woman doc, I need her back in one piece.”

Angela turned back to Fareeha.

“That will cost you extra,” she smirked “I'll send you my consultation fee.”

Reinhardt and Fareeha laughed.

“How about a round on me?” Fareeha proposed. “And we can call it even?”

“Deal.” Angela replied with a wink. Her face then turned serious. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

“I make no promises, but I'll do my best.”

Angela seemed like she wanted to say more, but Delyinn fidgeted impatiently beside her and she had to move on.

“It's good to see her in such good spirits.” Reinhardt told Fareeha when Angela and Delyinn had boarded the Slipstream. “The last time I saw her smile like that was back on the Overwatch.”

They stood in silence for a moment, watching Lena take off, and a fresh wave of shuttles land. The Recon Platoon, led by a Pelx-Crandonian lieutenant, stepped out of them. With suits capable of rendering the user invisible and special training in infiltration tactics, they were perfect for rooting out the pirates from whatever tunnel system they had set up under the ridge.

“We can handle things from here.” Reinhardt said. “You can take your squad back to the ship, as all bulky suits like ours can do is give topside support.”

“We'll stay. I had a good soldier maimed today, I'd like to see this through.”

Reinhardt simply nodded, expecting nothing less.

“I owe you an apology.” Fareeha said suddenly, almost surprising herself. “My conduct over the radio earlier was less than professional. It won't happen again.”

Reinhardt chuckled, causing his armor to rattle.

“No need to apologize, I'd have said the same.”

Fareeha gave him a confused look.

“Have you ever wondered why none of the old Overwatch crew, your mother included, ever made it past the rank of captain?” He asked.

“I'd never given it much thought.” She answered, scratching her chin. “Didn't the news say something about Morrison refusing promotion to stay with his crew?”

“That's bullshit. The real reason is none of us could keep our damn mouths shut when confronted with bureaucratic meddling and incompetence. That's why we all ended up on the same ship.”

“You're fucking with me!”

“I would never.” Reinhardt gave her a pat on the shoulder, far from gentle due to the size of his gauntlets. “We were all a bunch of 'misfits and renegades', at least according to the general staff. They gave us the hardest missions in the hopes that we wouldn't return. That way they could give us a heroes burial and quietly forget we existed. When LCS Overwatch was destroyed we lost a lot of good people. Some we buried,” Reinhardt's eyes glassed over for a moment, lost in memory. “Others retired or left the service to pursue other career paths. Those that stayed on, such as myself, were separated and sent to the farthest corners of the galaxy in the hopes that we would get frustrated and leave the service. It's no coincidence that the crew of the Calgary is filled with ex-Overwatch personal.”

“I did find that fact a little suspicious,” remarked Fareeha, “I suppose that explains my presence here too, given my mothers role on the Overwatch.”

“Partly. Morrison does think you are a damn fine soldier, and I do too. Judging by the evidence around me,” he gestured to the surrounding carnage, “I'd say we were right about that.”

Fareeha nodded and looked away. She had never been good at taking compliments, especially from a fatherly figure like Reinhardt.

“Don't worry about any of that stuff.” Reinhardt told her. “Jack has spent three years fighting to get this ship and crew together. He's not about to let it all go just because a third rate admiral has a stick up his ass.”

Fareeha laughed at the image conjured in her mind by those words.

“Anymore of your people need to head up to see Angela?”

Fareeha shook her head.

“Well then Lieutenant Amari, let us get to work.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, so that's the battle mostly resolved. I really enjoyed writing it, especially the technical challenge of figuring out how to work Pharah's ultimate and Mercy's damage boost into a semi-believable (I hope haha) thing that could really happen. According to the overwatch wiki she fires 30 rounds per second and it lasts for 3 seconds. That's 90 rockets (dat basic math tho), which would be hard to stuff into a suit that size and still have room for all the other stuff so I made them split into smaller ones. The damage boost was a little trickier, and I'm still not entirely convinced by it but whatev. It's called fiction for a reason haha. Anyways hope you enjoy the chapter!


	8. Those Who Bleed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDORT!

It took a better part of six hours to root the rest of the pirates out of their underground hideout. Kodlak was wounded a second time, taking a bullet in his right arm. Seven marines from the Recon Platoon were also wounded in the fighting, which was mostly hand to hand. A corporal with a mostly cybernetic body had distinguished himself in the fighting, clearing whole rooms with only a katana. He had introduced himself to Fareeha as Genji Shimada. They had talked briefly about their past service as he helped her load computers, and other useful items seized during the battle, onto a shuttle. It turned out he was another ex-Overwatch crew and had known Angela.

“She saved my life, and practically built my whole body from scratch.”

Fareeha had asked if they were close.

“Are you asking to scope out the competition?”

Fareeha blushed and looked away, somewhat embarrassed by her lack of subtly.

“No matter,” he continued, “She's the older sister I never had. We keep in touch, she likes to keep a close eye on this,” He gestured to his cybernetic body, “And preforms regular maintenance on it.”

Fareeha nodded, not entirely sure he had answered her question.

“Know this,” he said, wiping his sword blade, “If you hurt her and you will have me to answer to.”

“Reinhardt told me much the same.” Fareeha replied with a chuckle. Genji nodded.

“That doesn't surprise me, those of us who served on the Overwatch together tend to view one another as family, your mother included.”

They finished the rest of the loading in silence, leaving Fareeha to mull over his words.

“I look forward to working with you.” He told her when the loading had concluded, “If you are half the soldier your mother was you will fit in just fine around here.”

He saluted and began to walk back to his platoon.

“Good luck with Angela!” He said over his shoulder.

 

30 minutes later,  
Hanger deck, LCS Calgary

The shuttle ride back to the Calgary was quiet, even the usually talkative Lena didn't have much to say. So it was almost startling when she announced their arrival in the hanger over the intercom. They slid into the cavernous bay with practices ease, and Fareeha wondered if Lena was trying to show off for one of the fighter jocks. Upon touchdown the doors opened and the squad disembarked, filing down the ramp. Fareeha formed them up into a circle, with her as the center. 

“Check and clean your gear, debriefings start in half an hour.” She said. “Then go check in with Dr. Zeigler.”

Edric opened his beak to protest.

“I know some of you haven't got a scratch but it never hurts to play it safe. Plus we should all see how Baleroc is doing. After that you are all free to do whatever with your evening. I know I will be hitting the bar for a drink, and you are all welcome to join me. In fact if you do I might even buy you a round.”

“Does that extend to me too?” Lena asked as she exited the Slipstream.

“Yes even you.” Fareeha replied. “All joking aside please come out. We haven't had much time to get to know one another and this would be a perfect opportunity. Any questions?” None were forthcoming. “Very well, dismissed.”

She made her way over to the locker her equipment was stored in towards the back of the hanger. There, she began the process of removing her Raptora suit. Each piece was removed and inspected with care to ensure it was in good condition. Those pieces that were not up to snuff were placed in a small pile in front of her locker for the engineers to collect. They would then be taken to the armory for whatever maintenance was required. Fareeha prided herself on the fact that she was able to preform almost every conceivable maintenance task on her suit, that way nobody could tinker with it in ways she didn't like. Just as she removed the last piece, leaving her in a black spandex body-suit, a conversation being had by two nearby technicians reached her ears.

“Heard one of those fucking chirpers lost a leg.”

“Serves 'em right. We never should have let them into the Commonwealth.”

Fareeha had heard enough. She grabbed her sidearm, an antique 1910 Colt .45 caliber pistol, and strode over to the two oblivious techs.

“Attention on deck!” She barked, doing her best to channel her drill instructor from basic training. The techs jumped in surprise before snapping to attention.

“Did I just hear one of you ignorant jackasses refer to one of my soldiers as a 'fucking chirper'?!”

Her voice thundered through the mostly deserted hanger bay, drawing the attention of those who remained. Saleh and Tariq stood up and rushed over. Kip, Edric and Darys ignored the two corporals attempts to get them to stay back, rage clearly plastered on the avian's faces.

The two technician remained silent.

“What are your names?” She demanded.

They still remained silent.

“I wasn't asking, that was an order.” 

When they didn't react she continued her tirade.

“This isn't the fucking boy scouts! In case you hadn't noticed, this is the fucking army sunshine! And in this army, when a superior officer gives you an order you comply with that order or you will be cleaning the latrines with your tongue until you can't taste the difference between shit and french fries!” 

By now she was inches away from the face of the younger, more nervous looking technician, who was beginning to shake under her steely glare.

“Name soldier, let's have it!”

“Technician third class Albert Prost ma'am!”

Fareeha nodded, then turned and looked at the other tech who still remained silent. She glared at him, but he refused to acknowledge her presence. 

“Still got nothing to say?” She crossed her arms and called for the duty sergeant. 

A burly looking human with a smooth shaved head jogged over. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing a long and intricate series of tattoos.

“What can I do for you ma'am?” he asked once her had arrived.

“Have one of you men escort Technician Prost to the brig. He is in violation of section thirteen of the LCDF personnel code of conduct. He is not to be spoken to until myself, XO Reinhardt or Captain Morrison has seen him. Am I understood?”

“Yes ma'am.” He whistled and a nearby guard ran over. The sergeant repeated Fareeha's instructions and Prost was escorted out of the hanger. The group watched him leave in silence, before turning back to the remaining soldier.

“What about Rawlings?” The sergeant asked.

“That's his name?” Fareeha replied.

“Technician second class Stewart Rawlings.” He glared at the man in question. “On thin ice with me already. Almost had a fight between him and a pair of Imari pilots earlier when the air wing got scrambled.”

“Well he just referred to one of my soldiers as a 'fucking chirper'.”

“Did he now?”

Fareeha nodded.

“And you caught him? With more than yourself as a witness?”

“Yes, Saleh and Tariq can vouch.” The two corporals nodded in affirmation.

“So I assume he will be joining his friend in the brig?”

“Not yet. He also refused to identify himself when challenged by a superior officer, in violation of article one. I want to have a word with him first.”

“Very well, if you have no more need of me I'll be in my office. Send him my way when you are finished and I'll drop him off myself.” He saluted and walked off. Fareeha waited until he was out of earshot before speaking.

“You think you are such a fucking tough guy eh? That us humans are so much better than the other races?” He smirked, which only fueled her anger. “Did it no occur to you in your pathetic shit filled swine hole of a brain that humanity would not exist, not a single one of us, without the species coming together to form this commonwealth? The first Star of Haven, the highest award for valor, was given to a Pelx-Crandonian. The Third Fleet, the fleet that single-handedly turned the tide of the battle of Camsden, is primarily Pelx-Crandonian. So, you bigoted little shit, next time you decide to insult a fellow soldier, regardless of race or rank, I will see you dishonorably discharged so fast that the paper will arrive last week!”

By now Fareeha was face to face with Rawlings, her nose a mere inch from his. Saleh and Tariq both had a firm hand on her shoulders. Fareeha had a zero tolerance for the kind of behavior Rawlings was displaying and, combined with her fiery temper, they knew this situation could deteriorate fast.

“However if I ever hear you insult one of MY soldiers, especially one wounded in the line of duty, I will personally castrate you and toss your screaming body out the nearest airlock. Am I understood?”

His eyes widened with fear at her threat but he still remained silent.

“I said am I understood?” She shouted right into his face.

“Yes ma'am.” He meekly replied.

She backed off, crossing her arms and glaring with disdain.

“How cowardly assholes like you make it into the army I will never understand.” She said, shaking her head. “Kip, Edric, Darys. Escort the technician to the sergeant's office.”

“With pleasure ma'am.” Edric replied, and prodded Rawlings with his rifle. “Let's move asshole.”

To Fareeha's relief Rawlings didn't try anything and complied with Edric's instructions. Her own conduct had been toeing the line, and the last thing she needed was a physical fight. Those tended to involve too much paperwork in the aftermath to be worthwhile. Behind her, Saleh and Tariq let out the collective breath they had been holding. Fareeha turned and laughed at the sight.

“Worried about something?” She smiled innocently.

“You have been known to get...physical.” Saleh offered with a sheepish grin.

“Good to know you have my back then.”

 

1800 Hours ship time,  
Debriefing room, LCS Calgary,  
In orbit over Colmar IV

 

The squad removed and stowed the rest of their gear without incident. They then reported to the debriefing room, where one by one they went through the debriefing process. Fareeha, being the unit's commander, was the last to be called in. She kept things short and succinct in her report, making sure to mention how well the squad had functioned under fire.

“I was very impressed,” she told the intelligence officer, “Even after Baleroc went down there was no sign of panic.”

When Fareeha had finished her recounting her version of events the officer asked her to remain in the room.

“The captain wishes to speak to you.” she said. 

Fareeha agreed, and felt butterflies take flight in her stomach as the officer exited the room.

“Perhaps Morrison heard about what happened in the hanger.” She thought. She braced herself when he entered the room, but the expected tirade was not forthcoming. Instead he stood there with an outstretched hand, which she eventually stood and shook.

“Excellent job down there.” He said. “I'm sorry about Baleroc, it's tough to see somebody go down on your first op together.”

Fareeha could only nod in response.

“Try to stay optimistic about it. Angela will have him back in fighting shape in no time. We also have a therapy bot who help make his transition to an artificial leg much easier and quicker.” He took a seat in the debriefing officer's chair, and gestured for Fareeha to sit back down in hers. “But I'm not here to talk about that.”

Fareeha decided a preemptive strike was the best option.

“If it's about what happened in the hanger I can explain sir.”

Morrison held up a placating hand.

“Relax Lieutenant, I'm not here about that either. Sergeant Cato already sent me the reports and I will handle the matter.” He looked past her, as if relieving a memory. “You handled it with more restraint than I expected, and certainly better than I would have at your age.”

“I like to think I've matured a little since boot camp.” She replied, “But my temper can still be an issue.”

“At least you are aware of it and working to mitigate it. That's more than most people can boast.”

She smiled and looked away at the compliment. Morrison leaned back in his chair and rested his feet up on the table. The rather unprofessional display relaxed Fareeha a little. She leaned back into her own chair and crossed her arms. Morrison smiled when he saw that, and looked up at the ceiling.

“Ana used to do that,” he gestured at her posture. “Right before she would chew me out for something. Got to the point where all she had to do was cross her arms and the whole bridge crew would stand at attention.” They both laughed at the memory. “Reinhardt was the only one who could stand up to her. Drove her crazy.”

“She never talked about things like that.” Fareeha responded after a moment. “She tried to make her job sound scary and unpleasant.”

“She's not far from the truth on that.”

Fareeha had to agree.

“Do you regret your decision?” he asked.

“Never.” She answered without hesitation. “It may have some downsides but the people I meet and the difference I make in the lives of many far outweigh them.”

“I know she didn't approve of you joining the service at first, but I still think she was proud of you. The day she heard you had graduated from Raptora training at the top of your class she bought the whole bridge crew drinks.”

“She never told me that.”

“Ana kept a lot of things to herself, but her love for you was not one of them.”

“I know, it's just...” she sighed. “Things were complicated.”

“Relationships often are.” He took his feet off the table and straightened up. “But I didn't come down here just to reminisce, I have a mission for you.”

Fareeha perked up at that.

“The computers and weapons you found bear the markings of a pirate group known as 'The Deadlock Gang'. A rather nasty group of ruffians and lowlifes who specialize in hitting cargo convoys in contested space. We had run-ins with them on the Overwatch, in fact we essentially dismantled their organization. They have re-emerged in recent years though, and finding a major hideout like this in UNE space is rather concerning. My suspicion is that they are being funded by the Alliance through a proxy. I've asked Angela to get in touch with an old friend from the Overwatch, Jesse McCree. He was a former Deadlock member who agreed to help us take them down in return for a pardon. He enlisted in the marines after that and served with us on the Overwatch until its destruction.”

“I assume he survived then?”

“Yes, he left the service soon after and became a bounty hunter. He knows Deadlock better than anyone, so he will be a useful asset in going after them. I want you and a couple of your best soldiers to escort Angela to pick him up. I'll go over the specifics tomorrow at the formal briefing, 0800 sharp.”

Fareeha nodded.

“Anything else sir?”

“Yes.” He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a credit chit. “Buy your squad a round on me. That was a hell of a job you did.” He stood up, Fareeha following suit, and handed it to her. “Dismissed.”

Fareeha saluted with a smile, tonight was going to be fun.

“And Fareeha?” She paused at the door, looking back. “Try not to be too hungover at the briefing.”

“Yes sir!”

 

1915 Hours ship time,  
LCS Calgary

With her hair still damp from the hot shower, she strode with purpose to the med bay. She had thrown on a blue tank top with athletic capris, a formal outfit for her, and had tucked her aviators on top of her head. Reaching the med bay, she pressed the button on the door console and stepped inside. Eight beds were currently occupied, with Baleroc in the one furthest from the door. Kip was at his side and the two Pelx-Crandonians seemed to be having a private conversation so Fareeha decided to see Angela first. The door of her office was closed, prompting Fareeha to knocked on it. Angela's pleasant voice sounded from inside.

“Come in, it's unlocked.”

Fareeha opened it and stepped over the threshold. Inside she found Angela fussing over Delyinn's ankle. Juno was curled up on her bed, and wagged her tail at Fareeha in greeting before resuming her nap.

“I'll just be a minute.” Angela told her. Fareeha crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. She studied the room, having been too tired to do so the night before. The office was rather spacious, Angela having joked that it was “Bigger than her quarters”. The fold out couch the two of them had spent the night on was at the back of the room, with Juno's bed beside it. Angela's desk, cluttered with research notes, medical files and instruments, against the left wall. The patient bed, which Fareeha had pushed against the far wall to make room for the couch bed the night before, was in the center of the room. The right wall had three open armor lockers, displaying three different versions of Angela's signature Valkyrie suit. The suit closest to Fareeha was white with orange highlights, and labelled MKI. The middle suit was Amber with black highlights, and labelled MKII. The third suit, labelled MKIII, was the red and white one Angela had worn earlier today. The final item that caught Fareeha's attention was a muddy pair of hiking boots and a gnarled looking walking stick resting beside the desk.

By now Angela was finished her examination of Delyinn's ankle and was standing up.

“Be sure to let me know if you notice anything out of the ordinary.”

“Got it, thanks doc.” Fareeha made way for Delyinn to exit the office. “LT.” Delyinn said with a nod.

“You coming out later?” Fareeha asked.

“Who's buying?” Delyinn answered with a raised eyebrow.

“The Captain and myself have the first two rounds.”

Delyinn's face lit up.

“Count me in!” She said excitedly. “I'll make sure the rest of the squad knows!”

Fareeha smiled.

“Then I will see you later.”

Delyinn sprinted out of the med bay after she told Kip, causing Fareeha to shake her head and chuckled before turning back to Angela. She had removed her lab coat, revealing her casual attire. It was an exact mirror of Fareeha's except the tank top was orange and there was a lack of glasses. She sat down in her office chair and yawned.

“Tired?” Fareeha asked.

Angela nodded.

“I'm always tired.” She joked. “Patching people up for a living tends to have that effect.”

“To tired for drinks?” Fareeha ventured.

Angela mulled it over for a moment.

“I suppose I could be convinced.”

“In that case, Angela would you like to come to drinks with myself and the squad tonight? I'm offering a round, and one more on the Captain. Plus,” Fareeha struck a pose and flexed her arms, “A free ticket to the gun show.”

Angela tried her best not to laugh at the audacious display.

“My my Fareeha,” she said with mock surprise. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Fareeha kissed one of her biceps and waggled her eyebrows.

“Yes, I suppose I am.”

“In that case I accept you offer but,” Angela stood up and walked over to Fareeha who was smug with victory. Angela made sure to exaggerate the swing of her hips, and watched with amusement as Fareeha's eyes began to follow them. She placed a single finger on Fareeha's arm, causing her to freeze. Angela traced it over the contours of the bicep, biting her lip as she went. Fareeha gulped audibly. “Only if you are on you best...” she paused, withdrawing the finger and booping a stunned Fareeha on the nose. “...behavior.” Angela finished.

They held each others gaze, Angela biting her lip again while Fareeha fought desperately to keep her face neutral. The corners of Angela's mouth began to lift, and Fareeha had to bite down on her tongue in an attempt to stave off the laughter building inside of her. Her chest began to vibrate as the laughter took hold, and she saw Angela doing the same. Soon they were both giggling uncontrollably. The giggle matured into laughter, which went on so long it brought tears to their eyes. As Fareeha wiped the tears from her eyes she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned to find herself face to face with an Omni-200 series medical robot. Hovering behind it were several spherical drones, which were used to remotely monitor patient well-being.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” it said in a warm, peaceful voice. “But private Goldeye has requested the presence of Dr. Zeigler and yourself.”

“Thank you Zenyatta.” Angela said from behind Fareeha. “We'll be right over.”

Zenyatta bowed.

“Have a pleasant day.” He said before returning to his rounds. Angela took off her lab coat and draped it over the back of her chair. She grabbed a bag of dog food from under her desk and filled Juno's bowl, placing it by her bed.

“We'll be back for you later.” She said, giving the fuzzy canine a good scratch behind the ears as she chowed down on dinner. Fareeha exited the office first, Angela walked out soon after and closed the door behind them. Together they walk over to Baleroc's bed. Kip was still there, and he waved as they approached.

“Kip told me about what happened in the hanger.” Baleroc said when they arrived. “Thank you.”

“It was the right thing to do.” Fareeha replied, feeling awkward at the compliment. “I look out for my soldiers on and off the battlefield.”

There was a short silence, and Angela made use of it to check Baleroc's vitals on a nearby monitor. 

“How are you feeling?” Fareeha asked.

“I've been better.” Baleroc replied with a chuckle. He paused, and then chirped something at Kip in his native tongue.

“In light of recent events, Baleroc and I have decided to do something.” Kip told them. “Something not often done for non Pelx-Crandonians.”

“You went above and beyond the call of duty to save my life,” said Baleroc. He gestured to his missing limb. “And you stood up for us against racism.” He waved off Angela and Fareeha's objections that they were just doing the right thing. “You'd be surprised how little value the life of a non-human soldier is to some people. How much do you know about Pelx-Crandonian culture?”

“Not as much as I probably should.” Fareeha admitted. Angela shook her head as well.

“I only ever studied anatomy and physiology.” Was her reply.

“We come from an arid planet, with great expanses of desert.” Baleroc said. He leaned back into the bed. “Our ancestors roamed the sandy wastes by night to avoid the heat, fighting and trading in equal measure.” He paused, and Kip was the next to speak.

“Our species mates for life, a trait that echoes our heritage as non-sentient migratory birds in a harsh land. Our ancestors congregated in small family groups, often no more than a dozen individuals. Partners are chosen at a young age, and the bond between them is that much stronger because they grow up together. This tradition carries over into the army.”

“As you can imagine the large empty tracts of open desert are easily defended by just a handful of sharpshooters. Combine that with our naturally enhanced vision and you could say we were born to be snipers.”

“Those with the best vision and 'Vash”, our word for predatory instinct, are singled out in their early childhood for training that lasts twenty years. They too are bonded but...it's hard to explain.”

“Like an arranged marriage?” Fareeha offered.

“Sort of.” Baleroc replied. “A sniper and their spotter are one unit. They cannot function properly without one another. The spotter,” He gestured to himself, “Is the eyes, ears and other senses. I look for targets, I feel the wind, and listen for threats. Without the spotter, the sniper is just a person with an over-sized clunky gun.”

“And the sniper is the body. I aim the weapon and pull the trigger. Without the sniper, the spotter is just a person with a pair of binoculars. We've trained together since we were four years old. When we were fourteen we were bonded, similar to a mating pair.”

“So you are married in a sense?” Angela ventured.

“Technically yes, but also no.” Kip answered. “We have different words to describe different types of bonds, some are what you would call platonic and others romantic. Pelx-Jondar is what you humans would describe as marriage for love or reproduction, it translates roughly to 'those who care.' The bond Baleroc and I share is called Pelx-Vondar or 'those who watch'. It's a more platonic kind of relationship, they love each other but not in a romantic way.”

“That's not to say Pelx-Vondar can't become romantic. In fact they often do, but it often takes quite a while.”

“Didn't take you that long.” Baleroc teased. Kip ruffled his feathers and coughed.

“If I may ask, what does Pelx-Crandonian mean?” Fareeha asked, taking advantage of the brief lull in the conversation.

“Those who walk the sands.” Kip answered.

“So why tell us this?” queried Angela. “I'm confident I can speak for both Fareeha and myself are honored that you have chosen to share this information with us but I sense there is more too it than that.”

Baleroc inclined his head before sitting up.

“Indeed.” He said. “There is another rite, one that we preform after going into battle with one another. For we are all Pelx-Kalachir, 'those who bleed together'.”

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” Angela whispered.

“For he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.” Fareeha finished, offering her a small smile.

“Your William Shakespeare was not far from the truth. It is our wish to extend this companionship of Pelx-Kalachir to both of you.”

Angela and Fareeha needed little time to think about it. They exchanged a look before replying in unison.

“We would be honored.” Before Angela added. “Would it be better to continue in my office?”

Baleroc indicated that it would. Angela jogged off to grab a wheelchair for Baleroc. In a few minutes they had relocated to inside Angela's office, where they all had to apologize profusely to Juno for interrupting her nap.

“Human physiology might make this part a little challenging,” Kip tapped his beak. “But we will make do.”

Taking his combat knife out of it's sheath, he pricked one of his 3 spindly fingers before passing it to Baleroc to do the same. Fareeha put a gentle hand on Angela's shoulder before she could say anything about cross-contamination and blood-borne diseases.

“Humans lack beaks, so the fleshy nob you refer to as a 'nose' will have to suffice.” Baleroc Gestured for them to come closer. He drew a line across each of their noses with his blood. Kip repeated the gesture, marking just below where Baleroc had. He then handed a second knife to Fareeha. 

“Your turn.”

The process repeated itself, Angela and Fareeha pricking a finger each and marking the beaks of the two Pelx-Crandonians. When they had finished Fareeha handed the knife back to Kip, who wiped it clean and returned it to it's sheath. 

“What now?” she asked.

“Do as I do.” Kip replied, “Although leave the singing to me.”

Before she could ask what he meant, Kip gently placed his hands on either side of Fareeha's head. Fareeha mirrored his gesture while Angela knelt down to do the same with Baleroc. Kip closed his eyes and began to sing in his native tongue. His voice rose and fell in incantation, Baleroc joining him in a pleasant harmony. He sang of the glory of battle, of banners furled in the wind and great acts of valor. He gently rubbed his beak against Fareeha's nose, the blood smearing on their faces. He pulled back, and Fareeha took that as a sign to open her eyes. He removed his hands and gestured for her and Angela to switch places, singing all the while. As they switched, the tone of the song shifted. Now Kip sang of the bonds formed in combat, and the trust soldiers place in one another. Once again they rubbed noses before pulling back. Now Kip gestured for Angela and Fareeha to partner with one another. Fareeha was nervous now, and could see Angela was too. They awkwardly stared at one another for a moment, causing Angela to blush. Fareeha took a deep breath to calm herself.

“It's fine, you can do this.” She said to herself. “You were flexing like an idiot earlier so this should be easy.”

She smiled at Angela, and softly placed her hands on her head. As Angela did the same, Kip and Baleroc changed the tone of the song again. The notes were mournful now, as they lamented friends lost. As Fareeha closed her eyes she began to see the faces of those she lost flash by. Her CO on the Anubis, Hassan from basic training, two Imari pilots she had been sent to rescue, and many more. As the melody began to climax her mother's face flashed before her, smiling warmly. A tear ran down her cheek as she leaned in to touch Angela. She could just make out the sweet citrus scent she had come to associate with the doctor over the metallic tang of the blood on their noses. They made contact with just their noses at first, but Angela tentatively pressed her forehead to Fareeha's. The song became hopeful now, as the final verses spoke of new friends and new beginnings. In her mind Fareeha saw her mother again. She was still smiling, and this time she spoke.

“Protect her with your life Fareeha,” the image of Ana told her, before winking. “This one is a keeper.”

Something inside Fareeha broke at that moment. Perhaps it was the thought of her mother giving her that advice, or the proximity of Angela, or the emotional power of Kip's song, or maybe a combination of all those factors. Her emotions bubbled to the surface and she sobbed once. She pulled Angela into a tight hug while burying her face in Angela's shoulder. If Angela was surprised by the sudden outburst of emotion she didn't show it. Her arms slid down around Fareeha's back and she held her close. Fareeha mumbled something into her shoulder. 

Angela guided Fareeha's head up so that their eye's were level. They stood their like that for a moment. Angela stared into Fareeha's eyes, losing herself in the soft brown orbs. She felt her mouth part slightly, and they began to inch closer to one another. Her heart was hammering rapidly in her chest, and it felt like her nerves were on fire. She closed her eyes and inhaled one final time in anticipation of the contact with Fareeha's lips.

Only she never made contact. A metallic hand on her shoulder drew her attention. It was Zenyatta.

“My apologies for the interruption,” he said, “but my sensors indicated elevated heart rates and open wounds.” As he spoke of the small drones buzzed into the room and busied themselves with scanning the small cuts on each of their fingers. 

“Sorry Zen,” Angela said, “I should have given you a heads up with regards to our activities.”

“Would you like me to tend to them or will your staff suffice?”

“My staff should be more than sufficient.” She turned to Baleroc and Kip. “Is it okay to heal them?”

“Yes of course.” Baleroc replied. “It is custom for us to let the blood dry on our beaks, as the blood will stain permanently when it dries; However it is not expected for those without beaks. You may remove it from your face without insult.”

Angela made quick work of the cuts, and used her staff to clean her face and Fareeha's. 

“You missed a spot.” Fareeha pointed to Angela's shoulder. “Sorry, it rubbed off when we were...uh...occupied.” She scratched the back of her neck.

“No matter.” Angela replied, and the nanites from the Caduceus staff made short work of that stain too. Kip spoke up once she had finished.

“The ritual is complete. You are now legally entitled to all privileges reserved for our species. You are now eligible, should you wish, to be cast into the star of our home system when you die.

“We will do our best to live up to such a high honor.” Fareeha told him. “Thank you again for this, it means a lot.”

“You are most welcome.” Baleoc replied. He then yawned. 

“Right, off to bed with you.” Angela said, “Kip don't keep him up too late and remember to ask Zenyatta if you need anything.”

“Yes ma'am.” Baleroc tossed her a small salute, before Kip pushed his chair after Zenyatta out of the office and back to his bed. Fareeha turned to her once they had left.

“I should apologize for my outburst earlier. I don't know what came over me, I'm not normally that emotional.”

“Fareeha come here.” Angela replied sternly. She reluctantly did as instructed, only to be engulfed in a bear hug. Well as engulfed as one can be by somebody several inches shorter than them.

“Never apologize for being you.” Angela said. “The only way we are going to make this work is if we are open and honest with one another. That includes emotions.” Angela released her from the hug but kept a hold of her hands. She held Fareeha's gaze. “I'm not on of your soldiers, you don't have to hide your emotions from me ever. The same goes for me. I have my own set of demons in my head, just like you, and I need you to call me out when I'm bottling things up. Sound fair?”

Fareeha mulled it over for a moment before agreeing.

“I'm not saying it will be easy, “Angela continued. “but if we both give our best I think this could be the start of something really special.”

“I couldn't agree more.” Fareeha replied. “Do you want to get changed before we head to the bar?”

Angela looked herself over using a small mirror she kept on her desk.

“Nah.” She said. “If it was the officer'c club I might consider it but we are not going there.”

“Too good to dress up for us common folk?” Fareeha teased.

“I didn't say that.” Angela replied with indignation and Fareeha laughed. “I'm going out to have a good time, not to impress people and play workplace politics.”

“Fair enough.” Fareeha said, holding her arms up in appeasement.

Angela placed the mirror back on her desk. She fixed Fareeha with a mischievous look.

“Now Lieutenant,” Angela bit her lip, and Fareeha gulped audibly. “I believe you owe me a drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays! I'm still a little nervous about this one, definitely took me out of my very small comfort zone as a fledgling fanfic author. The 'shit and french fries' line is straight from Black Hawk Down. Anyways hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!


	9. The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RAPID FIRE UPDATE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2136 Ship Time,  
Enlisted Personnel Bar,  
LCS Calgary

Fareeha was drunk. Not falling out of her chair drunk, but drunk enough that word were starting to slur. The thought didn't bother her though, because everyone around her was drunk too. Helix squad plus Angela and Lena had been t the bar or enlisted personnel for a little over two hours now. While Kip had left about an hour in, mentioning something about calibrations, the rest of the group had stayed. It was turning into a good night, Fareeha had managed to get in a good conversation with everyone.

Contrary to the officers club, the enlisted personnel bar was much more to Fareeha's liking. No neon lights, no pretentious EDM and no political bullshit. The beer was still trash but at least she could enjoy good company. There was even a music player styled like an early 20th century jukebox. She had squealed in excitement when she saw it, much to Angela's amusement. Fareeha was soon headbanging to ACDC's “Highway to Hell”, only stopping when Tariq threatened to take pictures. They had pushed several tables together along one of the walls so they could all sit together. Most of the group was currently watching Kodlak and Krass shotgun beers in an attempt to out-drink one another. Angela, Fareeha, Delyinn and Lena were deep in discussion at the other end of the group table. Angela had started it after she shotgunned a beer of her own, impressing even Fareeha.

“So what's the story with that?” She asked, pointing a finger at Fareeha's face.

“Besides being the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” Fareeha answered, causing Angela to blush and Lena to groan.

“I think she means your tattoo.” Delyinn offered, earning an appreciative smile from Angela.

“Thank you,” she huffed, “At least someone understands me.”

“Fine, fine, gather round children, for I will tell this tale but once.” Fareeha took a long drink from her beer, before starting her story.

“As you know , my mother is a war hero. I grew up wanting to be just like her, a soldier bravely defending the innocent. She didn't approve, she wanted me to be anything but a soldier. Nevertheless the day I turned 18 I went to the nearest recruitment office in Cairo and enlisted in the LCDF. When my mother found that night we had a huge fight. I left home the next morning under the impression that I was not welcome back, and that we would never speak again.”

She paused, even now the memory made her stomach feel uneasy. Angela gently nudged Fareeha's leg with her own under the table, and offered her a supportive smile when she looked up. 

“You don't have to continue if you don't want to.” Angela said. “I apologize, I didn't realize it was such a sensitive issue.”

Fareeha grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze.  
“It's not as bad as it sounds.”

“I dunno LT, getting booted out of home sounds pretty rough.” Delyinn said with wide eyes.

“Not all of us grew up in the nice cozy world of Haven's political elite.” Lena teased. Delyinn gave her a look, causing Lena to giggle. Resolve bolstered, and another swig of beer in her belly, Fareeha continued.

“Eight weeks later and I had completed basic. I sat there outside the Cairo base, wondering what to do with myself with my week off before assignment, when my uncle's beat up sedan arrives. The last thing I expected was my mother to step out in full dress blues and with all her medals”

“Wait what?!” asked Lena, clearly gobsmacked.

“She looks at me for a moment, and then says “Are you not supposed to salute a superior officer?”, before crossing her arms.” Fareeha took another drink, the beer might taste like crap, but it sure went down easy.

“What did you do?” Angela asked.

“Saluted of course. When Ana Amari asks you to salute, you salute! She rushed over and hugged me, and we spent the next ten minutes bawling and apologizing. “I'll go to my deathbed wishing you took a different career path,” she said, “But that doesn't mean I can ignore the fact you are my daughter.””

“How does the tattoo play into this?” Lena queried impatiently.

“I'm getting to that part.” Fareeha answered, holding up her hands to placate the pilot. “My mother took me right then and there to get the tattoo. Same parlor she got hers at. “You will discover it's true meaning yourself, just as I did.” She then gave me this.”

Fareeha drew her pistol out of its holster and placed it on the table.

“Is that-” Delyinn's eyes grew wide.

“A 1910 Colt .45 calibre semi-automatic pistol.” Fareeha said with pride. “It's been in my family for generations, passed down from soldier to soldier.” She carefully passed it around for the others to inspect.

“How did your family end up with it?” Lena asked as she rotated it in her hands.

“It was given to private Hassan Amari on October 25th 1942. He was the driver for a British Colonel in Montgomery's 8th Army. He saved the life of the Colonel at the second battle of El Alemein and was given this as a gift of thanks. It has seen action in every war Egypt has ever taken part of.”

Angela grimaced when it was handed to her, and she quickly gave it back to Fareeha. Lena raised an eyebrow.

“It's probably killed hundreds, if not thousands, over the years. The thought is a little discomforting to me. I mean no disrespect to your ancestors,” She stammered the last part out. “It's just as a doctor, a combat medic I will admit, but still-” She trailed off, clearly flustered.

“It's okay.” Fareeha told her. “No harm done.”

“Sooooo anybody else got ink to share?”

“I have a couple more.” Fareeha offered. She pointed to her ankle, where a black jackal's head glared back. “Got that after a year on the Anubis with the rest of my squad. Saleh and Tariq have it too, and this,” She lifted up her top, exposing her well toned abs. Several lines of flowing script adorned the left side of her rib-cage. “The Jumper's creed, in Arabic.”

Angela decided to go next, partly to get her mind of Fareeha's abs, and partly for a little payback. She stood up and turned around. She pulled up her tank-top, exposing her back, spine and shoulders. She heard an audible gasp from Lena, but the real satisfaction came when she glanced back and saw Fareeha slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

“That's pretty impressive, isn't it LT?” Delyinn said, throwing Angela a conspiratorial wink.

“Yeah...uh..yeah.” was all Fareeha could say. The source of her sudden embarrassment and, although she would never admit it at the time, arousal, lay in the intricate design on Angela's back. Following the line of her spine was a golden Caduceus staff, wreathed in flames, with two snakes, one gold and one blue, entwining it. The staff was topped with a pair of wings, fully furled, which were heavily detailed and covered much of her shoulders. Angela lowered her tank-top after a moment, and sat back down. She shot a wink a Fareeha, who was discovering that it was indeed possible to blush on top of a blush.

“I got the staff first, to celebrate graduating medical school. I had the wings added later to celebrate the Valkyrie suit passing it's field trials.”

“You really went all the way with the angel persona.” Lena observed. “Yet I don't recall you being very religious.”

“The short answer is I'm not.” Was Angela's response. The looks she got indicated she should continue. “The long answer is I was as a child. Deneb quickly removed what faith I had in god.” She drained the rest of her beer, and swiftly ordered another from a passing server drone.

“So why the symbolism? If you don't mind me asking.” Fareeha said, her face having now returned to it's normal color.

“Not at all.” Angela said. “I'll freely admit part of it is because I think it looks cool. The same reason your helmet,” she pointed at Fareeha, “is shaped like a jackal, and yours,” now at Delyinn, “is shaped like a wolf, and you,” finally at Lena. “have the image of a girl in a nightgown falling over a creek on the side of your shuttle.”

Fareeha laughed. 

“That's amazing! How did I not notice that before?” she asked Lena.

“Because it's under a temporary top coat. The captain wants it covered until after the inspection on Haven.” she answered sadly.

“Anyways the persona is partly to honor my parents as well. They were religious, my mother especially. She used to fill my head with stories of guardian angels. It's one of the few happy memories of them I have left. She took a long swig from her new beer, which had just arrived. Everyone else followed suit. “Sorry to kill the mood again.”

“Well mine is less..emotionally intense?” Delyinn said. She pulled up the sleeve of the pullover hoodie she was wearing, revealing a small tattoo on her wrist. A black line cut across the width of her wrist. At its midpoint rested the tip of a cone, which extended away from her hand. It was filled with dark ink, with the exception of the circle at the base of the cone. It was completely bare, save the outline of the circle and a small dot in its center.

“It's the mark of the old town waits of Newcastle, and the 'unofficial official' mark of Northumbrian pipers.”

“You play?” Angela inquired.

“Yes. I'll be piping the crew in for the inspection on Haven.” She paused, and then smirked with laughter.

“What?” Lena raised her eyebrow again.

“I'm gonna kill the mood again.”

“Del it's been dead long past the point of revival.” Angela said, giggling. “Trust me, I'm a doctor.”

When the fits of giggling subsided Delyinn continued.

“As I was going to say, I do funerals too. So if any of you were to go, not that i would endorse such behavior, I can make sure you are remembered in style.”

“I think I'd like that, a piper at my funeral that is.” Fareeha quickly added. “It's a haunting sound, up there next to the call to prayer.”

“It's awful.” said Lena. “I can't stand bagpipes.”

“These are not bagpipes Lena. They are Northumbrian small pipes, that's like comparing an apple to an orange.” Delyinn seemed eager to continue.

“I'm just drunk enough that I'll allow you to explain.”

“Well for a start you don't blow into them, instead you use a bellows pump under your arm.” Delyinn mimed the motion, causing Lena to giggle. Nonplussed, Delyinn continued her explanation. “The chanter has a closed end, and the fingerings are tighter which means the style is much more staccato-y. Perhaps the biggest, and I'm sure the best in Lena's opinion, is the bore is very narrow. 4.3 millimeters, which means they are a lot quieter than say, traditional bagpipes.”

“You are a massive nerd. Don't get me wrong, it's cool as fuck and I respect your passion, you gotta admit that was useless info on par with mine.” Hana had arrived. “And I live stream.”

The group laughed at that, even Delyinn.

“Fair point, I'm a band geek though and through.”

She offered Hana a beer.

“Can't, technically not legal yet. Seems I'm allowed to walk in and sit down, but ordering one is illegal” She sighed. “I fly people in and out of combat zones for a living, you would think I'm responsible enough to be trusted with alcohol.”

“What the brass don't know won't hurt them.” Fareeha said as she ordered two more beers. When they arrived she slid them to Hana, refusing the credit chit in response. “One's on me, the other is on the captain. Just keep this quiet.”

Hana nodded eagerly in thanks before taking a long drought.

“This tastes like shit!” she gagged out.

“You would think they could get us something better than this.” Lena said, offering Hana a napkin to wipe up the spew.

“That costs money, it was enough of a fight to get these things on board ships in the first place. I'll settle for shitty beer over no beer at all”

“Amen to that.” Was Delyinns reply. They all clinked bottles and took a drink.

“God it's shitty though.”

 

The rest of the evening was a blur to Fareeha. At some point Lucio showed up, setting up a small DJ booth in a corner and pumping out acceptable, in Fareeha's humble opinion, EDM. The bar was soon packed with enlisted personnel, some of which were giving the three officers strange looks. Fareeha took that as a queue to leave. She half dragged half danced Angela over to the bar so she could settle the tabs. Lena did as well, seemingly eager for more.

“Nights just begun!” she said, “Gonna hit the officers club, want in?”

Angela declined, much to Fareeha's relief as it gave her the perfect excuse to decline as well.

“Suit yourselves!” Lena told them. “Toodaloo!”

Fareeha managed to track down Delyinn. After extracting a promise from the specialist to keep an eye on Hana, she bid her goodnight.

“Let the squad know I'm leaving, and that I expect them all at the briefing room for 0800 sharp.”

Delyinn sobered up a little at that.

Angela and Fareeha then departed, one last glance back saw Hana working the the turntable alongside Lucio, headed for the med bay. Soon after leaving Fareeha reached out and tentatively took Angela's hand in hers. Angela responded with a gentle squeeze.

“You know on any other ship this would be taboo.” Fareeha said.

“Morrison doesn't care, as long as our performance in the field is not affected.”

They took their time, simply enjoying each others company, and the pleasant buzz provided by the alcohol. Upon reaching the med bay Angela excused herself for a moment to check in with Zenyatta. Fareeha made her way to Angela's office. She took a seat on the couch and began to scratch Juno's ears, talking in that voice all dog owners reserve only for their pooch. She was so engrossed with the lovable fuzzball in front of her she failed to notice Angela standing at the doorway.

“Should I be jealous?” she teased before walking over to join her. Fareeha grinned sheepishly.

“Yes, Juno and I are going to run away and get married. Isn't that right girl?”

Juno's tongue flopped out one side of her mouth and she nuzzled Angela.

“Seems like I've got some competition.” Fareeha observed. Angela didn't respond, instead she buried her head in Juno's back and began to rub the dog's belly. Fareeha smiled at the sight, before her attention turned back to the room around her. The pair of boots and walking stick beside them intrigued her.

“I take it you like hiking?” She asked, in an attempt to start conversation. Angela looked up and nodded.

“Yes, I managed to get some in before we departed Earth.”

“I never pictured you as the outdoors-y type.”

Angela shrugged.

“Growing up on a farm and then my uncle's place in the Alps in Switzerland are to blame.” She paused, an idea forming in her mind. “You know I still have a place on Deneb. Not the farm, that passed to my aunt and uncle, but a small cabin in the mountains. Next time we get shore some shore leave you should come with me.”

Fareeha smiled.

“I'd like that, it sounds wonderful.”

“How about we take Juno for a walk and I can tell you about it?”

Fareeha stood up.

“Lead the way.”

They took Juno on Angela's usual circuit of the ship. They stopped occasionally to talk to a passing friend or colleague, but for the most part they kept to themselves. Fareeha had taken Angela's hand with much more confidence this time, and remained linked with her for the duration of the excursion. They talked about many things. Angela described her cabin, her eyes lighting up as she recounted the sights and sounds of the forest. After one particular story about a failed attempt to squirrel proof a bird feeder the look on Angela's face was so happy and pure Fareeha couldn't help but blurt something out.

“You are so beautiful when you smile.” she said before she could stop herself. Angela blushed and turned away.

“Thank you...I don't know what to say.” she stammered out.

“You don't have to say anything.” Fareeha replied. They would have remained there, simply observing one another, had Juno not sat down and barked at them.

The rest of the walk continued in silence, although not an uncomfortable one. They kept stealing glances at one another when they thought the other was looking away. This game of cat and mouse was brought to an abrupt end by their arrival outside Angela's quarters. To ensure no disturbances, Angela opened the door and settled Juno on her bed before coming back outside and closing it.

“Tonight was fun.” she said. “Next time the drinks are on me.”

“Noted.” Fareeha replied with an easy smile. “I look forward to this becoming a regular thing.”

A silence descended, and Fareeha shuffled her feet awkwardly. Angela tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and bit down on her lip. She stepped closer to Fareeha and gently took hold of her hands. Angela's heart was racing now, and she could almost feel Fareeha's pulse throbbing in her hands. Her thumbs began to trace patterns on Fareeha's knuckles, which seemed to calm both of them down a bit. She looked up, meeting Fareeha's gaze with her own.

“Here goes nothing.” she thought. Angela stood up on her tip-toes, and gave what she intended to be a chaste kiss on Fareeha's lips. The moment she made contact she knew she was no longer able to pull away, and she deepened the kiss. Fareeha tasted incredible, despite the lingering remnants of her last beer coming to the fore as their lips mingled. Fareeha's arms encircled Angela, drawing her closer. Angela hummed in contentment, stealing a quick breath before going in for more. She lowered herself so her heels were back on the ground, one hand gripped Fareeha firmly about waist, the other encircled her neck, pulling her closer. Her fingers began to explore and tug Fareeha's black locks, earning a small moan of pleasure from the soldier. A shiver ran down Angela's spine at the sound. Their lips broke apart then, albeit reluctantly. They stood there with arms still entwined and breathing heavily, eyes firmly locked on each other.

“Some kiss huh?” Fareeha huffed out.

“As far as firsts go, that certainly tops it.” Angela replied, out of breath. Fareeha leaned in again, and Angela met her lips. Again she tasted Fareeha, and this time slipped her tongue in, probing the entrance. Their breathing was rough now, quick and heavy in between kisses. Angela dug her fingers into Fareeha's hair, and was rewarded as she felt Fareeha's nails rake across her back. This time Angela was the one to moan, breathy and hot with arousal. She bit her lip as Fareeha began to work her way down to her neck, yelping as Fareeha nipped her experimentally. Angela tapped her back repeatedly with one hand, causing Fareeha to pull back.

“We should probably stop now.” She said, running a hand through her messy hair. “Not that I don't want to go further but...”

“It's a little soon?”

“Yeah. I don't want to rush things, know what I mean?”

“Certainly.” Fareeha replied. “I can get a bit...carried away at times.”

“I noticed, and I like it.” She pulled herself into Fareeha's embrace, resting her head on her chest. “Man we are going to fuck the shit out of each other.”

“Well when you put it that way...”

“Bad Fareeha.” Angela booped her on the nose. “Don't make this harder than it has to be.”

“I'm not the on speculating on the quality of the sex we may or may not have.” Fareeha replied with a grin.

“Fair point.”

They stayed like that for several precious minutes, locked in a tight embrace. Angela reluctantly broke it.

“Well, goodnight Fareeha. I'll see you tomorrow?”

Fareeha nodded.

“The captain is sending me with you.”

Angela's face lit up.

“Really?!” Fareeha nodded again. “Excellent! You are going to love Jesse! His sense of humor is as eclectic as yours.”

“I'll take that as a compliment?”

“You should, he's hilarious.”

Angela was lingering at her door. Fareeha decided to help her out.

“Goodnight Angela.” she said warmly. Angela smiled back before entering her room. Fareeha watched her departing form as the door closed with an audible hiss. As it slid shut Fareeha thought she heard a whoop of joy from inside, and as she entered her own room she felt like cheering herself.

 

0800 Hours Ship Time,  
Briefing Room,  
LCS Calgary

 

Stifling another yawn, Fareeha took a sip of coffee. She was not alone, most of the faces in the briefing room looked like they could use several more hours of sleep. And water. Lots of water. She was proud of one thing, not a single member of Helix squad had shown up late. Lena and Hana had shown up too, much to Fareeha's surprise.

“How did you think you were going to get there?” Lena had grumpily responded when Fareeha asked.

“She's a little grumpy until she's had her coffee.” Hana said, giving Fareeha an apologetic look.

“Sounds like someone we know.” Saleh teased, earning him a smack on the shoulder from Fareeha. Silence pervaded the room after that, broken only by the occasional yawn or audible slurp of coffee. The minutes ticked by.

“They're late.” Delyinn observed.

Indeed it was almost quarter past 8 before Angela and Captain Morrison entered the briefing room. Everyone stood and saluted as the captain stepped in.

“As you were.” He said. A chorus of groans rang out as everyone sat back down, evidently in pain at the sudden movement.

“Rough night?” he asked. Fareeha responded for everyone.

“We made the most of your generosity.”

“Well I hate to be the bringer of bad new but I'm afraid we have a problem that needs solving.” He knocked on the door and an orderly stepped through carrying an assault rifle seized in the battle yesterday. He placed it on the table and left, closing the door behind him.

“This is the reason behind our tardiness.” He explained, gesturing to the rifle. “Our good friends in engineering took a little longer than expected with their safety inspection.”

“This rifle is PMX-37, and it's serial number indicates it is fresh off the production line. Shoot corporal.”

“Isn't that standard issue in the Corballian army?” Saleh queried.

“Yes, which has some disturbing implications. The group you had a run in with yesterday is known as the Deadlock Gang. We all but wiped them out years ago on the LCS Overwatch. Back then they gained our attention by attacking a military convoy for the weapons it was carrying, and they never possessed anything as sophisticated as this.” He pointed at the rifle again. “And they definitely did not possess anywhere near the same firepower, especially with regards to rocket launchers. Someone is giving them first rate Alliance tech, and is setting them up to operate deep in Commonwealth space. The old Deadlock kept their operation limited to Contested Space to avoid the attention of the LCDF.”

“I've conferred with Admiral Sato on this matter and he shares my opinion that this matter is worth pursuing. We need to discover who is giving them these weapons and why. If they can set up one group this far inside the Commonwealth, who knows how many other hidden bases might be out there. Therefore we have been given permission to go after this group with the full backing of the admiralty and the fleet; However there is a small catch.”

Fareeha shook her head, there was always a catch.

“We were slated to be reviewed by the admiralty board, as all new ships are, in one weeks time. Admiral Sato will not budge on this.”

“The trail will get pretty cold by then won't it?” Kip chimed in.

“Exactly private. That's why I'm calling in some outside help.” He motioned for Angela to continue. She cleared her throat, and turned on the holo-projector in the center of the table. An image of a bearded man in his late thirties, teeth firmly planted on a cigar, arose from it.

“Jesse McCree, former LCDF marine and Deadlock informant. If anyone know what they are up to it will be him.” She said. “Unfortunately he is currently in the Border Free Colony Zone, where he works as a bounty hunter, which is halfway across the galaxy from Haven.” With the push of a button the holo-projector switched to a zoomed out map of the galaxy. Angela pointed at a highlighted star, causing the map to focus in on it.

“As of last night he is on Talos VI, a mining colony, in pursuit of a bounty. He has agreed to remain there until we arrive. The catch is that bounty hunting is illegal in the Talos system, no doubt the reason behind his target choosing it as a refuge.” There were murmurs and groans following Angela's last sentence. Morrison took over.

“This mission is off the record. While the Independent League is our ally, the BFCZ was created as a buffer zone between us. Military incursions of any kind are strictly forbidden under the Treaty of Bergen. As we speak the techs are hard at work on Gunnery Chief Song's shuttle, modifying it to resemble the civilian version of the Manta class. Intel is giving us a fake registration and back story as we speak. Dr. Zeigler will be using her contacts within Doctors Without Borders to get a permit for a clinic scouting operation. She will be accompanied by several private security contractors. That's you.” He gestured to Helix squad.

“Eleven guards for one doctor isn't what I'd call conspicuous.” Said Edric. “I thought we were keeping a low profile?”

“That's why only four of you are going. Lieutenant Amari will be leading, specialists Brightmoore and Greenfeather for technical support, and private Threewind for his marksmanship. The rest of you will travel with lieutenant Oxton to the LCDF base on Bashir II. There you will be the emergency backup team, and extract the doctors group should things go awry.”

“The rendezvous with Jesse is set for 1200 hours on June 6th, with the exact location yet to be determined.”

“The group going with Dr. Zeigler is to keep as low a profile as possible. Avoid bringing any gear that can tie you back to the LCDF. Any questions before we go into the details?”

There were none forthcoming for the captain to answer.

“Very well,” he said, “Lets get down to the nitty gritty of it.”

 

1124 Hours Ship Time,  
The Bridge,  
LCS Calgary

Fareeha stepped onto the bridge to find it a hive of activity. The captain quickly spotted her and beckoned her over.

“You asked to see me sir?” She said upon reaching him.

“Yes, there is something I would like you to see, follow me.”

He led the way to the very front of the bridge, right next to the transparent metal windows. Angela and Reinhardt were already there.

“Wait here.” Morrison told her, “I'll be right back.”

“I trust you have your gear all packed?” Reinhardt asked when she arrived.

“Yes,” she replied, “Just have to load it on the shuttle now.”

“Good, good.” Reinhardt went back to observing the planet in front of them. As he turned away, Fareeha gave Angela a small smile. The two of them hadn't had any time together since last night.

“It's quite the view isn't it?” Angela asked.

“Indeed, the planet looks nice to.” That earned a playful shove from Angela. Fareeha did have to agree though, the view of the planet below them was extraordinary. LCS Calgary was currently in a low geosynchronous orbit of Colmat IV, with the ship's nose pointed directly at the planet.

“You'll be needing this.” Morrison had returned, and handed her a small remote with a single red button.

“What is this for?” She asked. As if on queue the turrets of the ship's left and right Gauss cannon batteries began to rotate. Fareeha watched as they aimed towards the planet. She felt the ship adjust its position, lowering the nose so all the turrets on the top had a clear shot.

“Directly in front of us is the Deadlock hideout. Pressing that button,” Morrison indicated the remote in her hand, “Will give the order to fire.”

“Twenty guns, sixteen on the top and four on the bottom. Enough firepower to level a large city in a matter of minutes.” Reinhardt told her.

“We've gotten everything we can from the site?”

“Yes, the admiralty wants it destroyed to set an example and so nobody can come in behind us and use it again.” said Morrison. “It's also the perfect opportunity to give the gunners some target practice.”

“Do I need to give countdown?”

Morrison shook his head.

“You may fire when ready.”

She looked back at the planet, not noticing Angela sidling up to her until the doctor discretely took hold of Fareeha's other hand. Reinhardt placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“This is for Baleroc!” She said fiercely, and jammed her thumb down on the button.

The ship shuddered as all twenty guns went off at the same time. She watched, entranced, as the shock waves ripped across the surface of the planet. Massive dust clouds were thrown up by the explosions. The Calgary shuddered again as it loosed a second volley. The target was completely obscured now. After the third volley Morrison spoke up.

“Gunnery officer fire at will. Bastion please track the individual reload times of each gun crew. I want to know who needs practice.”

The ship was now brightly illuminated by flashes as each gun turret began firing on its own. A mesmerizing kaleidoscope of explosions covered the target area. A thought came to mind, causing her to giggle.

“What?” Angela asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I just remembered we never recovered Baleroc's leg.”

Angela's eyebrow remained raised.

“How is that funny?”

“Just imagine some poor archaeologist investigating the site. A bunch of smashed buildings, evidence of orbital bombardment and a random leg encased in armor.”

Angela didn't look amused.

“What? Nobody? Really?” Fareeha said.

“Stick to puns.” Angela said, patting the top of Fareeha's head with her hand. Fareeha shook her head, and went back to watching the light show.

 

1600 Hours Ship Time,  
Hanger Deck,  
LCS Calgary

Fareeha gave her gear one last inspection, straining her brain to make sure she had not forgot anything. Satisfied that she had not, she exited the shuttle and walked over to where Helix squad had gathered by its nose. She cleared her throat and addressed them.

“I know there is going to be temptation to treat this as a milk run. We cannot do that. Are there going to be lots of boredom filled hours as we wait for an arbitrary deadline? You bet. That doesn't mean we can slack off. As our backup you need to stay sharp, because there is a very real possibility that we will be bugging out with the local authorities on our ass. Saleh is in command while I'm gone,” Tariq visibly sighed with relief, “You show him the same respect and dedication you have shown me. Look after one another, and I'll see you on the other side. Hoorah!”

“Hoorah!” They echoed, before going their separate ways. Fareeha, Kip, Delyinn and Darys boarded Hana's shuttle, finding Angela and the pilot already inside.

“So,” Hana asked as she settled down into the pilots seat, “Who's my number two?

“On it.” Darys replied, and took a seat beside her in the co-pilots chair.

“Del has navigation, Kip is in the gunner's seat.” Fareeha told her, and the two soldiers took their seats.

“What about you and the doc?”

“Angela has comms, just in case McCree calls. She is also making dinner.”

“Heck yes!” was Hana's response.

“What about you LT?” Delyinn asked. Fareeha put on her aviators and grinned. 

“Me? I'm the DJ.”

“D.Va you are cleared for departure from bay 4. Good hunting, control out.”

“Copy control. Buckle up people, here we go.”

Fareeha strapped herself into the chair next to the shuttle's intercom interface. She attached her music player, selected her favorite playlist and hit play. The first chords of Aerosmith's “Sweet Emotion” sounded over the speakers. Angela smirked, Delyinn looked confused and Hana groaned.

This was going to be a long trip.

As Steven Tyler's vocals began to serenade them, the shuttle exited the hanger. They took one last look out the windows at the Calgary before Hana engaged the warp drive and they were engulfed by the darkness of space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the holiday event has begun! I already scored Winston's Yeti skin so wooot. Hopefully updates will be coming fast and furious over the holidays as I have more time to write. As always thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> ps. The whole time I was writing the kissing scene I couldn't stop smiling, they are so freaking cute


	10. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update w00t w00t

1823 Hours Local Time,  
June 5th, 2545,  
Davisport, Talos VI, Border Free Colony Zone.

Angela hated sand. The fine grains mange to get into every crack and crevice of her equipment. It meant preforming maintenance on the Caduceus staff took three times as long, as she had to disassemble and clean each piece. That was the situation on which Angela currently found herself, sitting on the floor of a hotel room, surrounded by her disassembled staff. They had rented a room in a small hotel close to the bar they had agreed to meet McCree at the following day. As Angela had expected, and somewhat dreaded, it was in a rather seedy part of town.

Talos VI was a mining colony, as many worlds are in the BCDF. Major corporations took on the role of government on planets like this, with the human run Jovian Mineral Enterprises holding sway over the Talos system. The city of Davisport served as the administrative capital for Talos VI and security was appropriately tight, especially in the parts of the city inhabited by company employees. At just about every street corner there were checkpoints manned by armed security guards. They had put every shred of Helix squad's cover story to the test. So far it had held up, but they had decided to stay off the streets as much as possible to avoid unnecessary risks. 

Hana had remained with the shuttle, ready to scramble at a moments notice, and Angela had to strictly forbid her from live-streaming to fill the time. The shuttle was berthed several miles from the hotel, in the civilian spaceport located on the opposite side of the city. This inconvenience was due to the Jovian run spaceport being equipped with surface to air missiles. 

“After all,” Fareeha had said, “We are likely to be running from them before this is over.”

Angela had to agree. She had hoped to get off-world without using her suit, but an emergency call from McCree had dashed that thought.

“Got the bounty,” he had said, “But not alive. Nobody saw it, but it's only a matter of time before the administration puts two and two together and I'm hauled in for questioning.”

That was not going to happen. Jovian Enterprises was not known for respecting Habeas Corpus. They had called Lena that night to update her on the situation. There had been a disagreement on whether Lena should warp in before or after they met McCree. Fareeha made the final call.

“After.” she had said firmly. “We don't want to raise suspicions until after we have made contact if we can help it. There is still a chance this will blow over and we get off-world without anyone the wiser. A slim chance, but one worth taking.”

Her gut told her Fareeha was making the right decision. They had enough trouble getting past customs in an unmarked shuttle carrying weapons, a second one showing up with heavily armed and armored occupants would blow their cover immediately. Fareeha had given in to Angela's request to wear armor for the meeting. 

“We are technically here to survey and set up a clinic, so it would not look too out of place in this part of town.”

And so Angela found herself here, the night before the big day, cleaning the grit out of her suit and staff to ensure it was in peak condition. There was a knock on the door, causing her to reach for her pistol. When she saw the figure entering was that of Fareeha she relaxed and placed the weapon back on the floor.

“Expecting someone else?” Joked the lieutenant.

“One can never be too careful.” Angela replied.

“Fair point.” Fareeha entered the room and locked the door behind her. She walked into the small kitchen and placed the brown paper bag she was carrying onto the counter.

“I managed to find a takeout place that didn't look too sketchy. I hope you like Chinese food.”

Angela nodded but didn't say anything, she was too engrossed in her work. Fareeha took out two styrofoam containers from the bag. Grabbing two forks, she carried the containers over to where Angela was occupied on the floor. Fareeha plopped herself on the linoleum beside the doctor, placing a container and fork next to Angela. She then opened her own and began to eat. Fareeha sat their eating silently, and watched Angela begin the delicate process of re-assembling her staff. Over the past week Fareeha had observed that the doctor was so damn cute when she was engrossed in a task. They way her brow knitted in concentration and how, if she was beginning to get a little frustrated, her tongue would inch out of her lips and her jaw would clench slightly as she bit down on it. It was all Fareeha could do not to reach out an tussle her hair, or tackle her to the ground with tickling fingers.

“You should eat something while it's still warm.” Fareeha said after awhile, breaking the comfortable silence. “A hungry brain doesn't function properly.”

“Once I get the staff reassembled.” Angela replied without looking up. She did however acquiesce to Fareeha's unspoken request for conversation.

“How did the recon go?” She asked. Fareeha visibly perked up.

“Good, all things considered. Kip settled into his overwatch position, and Delyinn and Darys found a good spot across the street from the bar.”

“I meant to ask why they didn't come back with you.”

“They dropped me off before heading to the shuttle to get our suits.”

“Good idea, better tonight than tomorrow morning when things are rushed.” Angela said, putting the final piece in place. She inspected her handiwork for a moment before experimentally flicking her staff off and on a few times. Satisfied that everything was in order she turned it off and placed it back on the floor. She turned to Fareeha and gave her a sloppy peck on the lips while she was partway through a mouthful of food.

“Mmmmff!” Fareeha sputtered, spewing rice everywhere. “That was uncalled for.” She pouted after finishing what was left of her mouthful. Angela let out a peel of giddy laughter and Fareeha's heart melted. 

“I'm so sorry!” Angela said between giggles. “I couldn't resist. How about I make it up to you?”

Fareeha placed her container of food on the floor, closing the lid and putting her fork on top.

“And how would you do that?” She replied coyly, even though she knew the answer. Angela gave her a hungry look. Her lips twitched, giving Fareeha a split second to try to escape before she was tackled to the ground. Angela loomed over her, straddling her waist. They stared at each other for a moment, eyes brimming with desire, before Angela descended and their lips met. The kiss was heated, and full of passion. Angela adjusted the angle of her face, briefly brushing noses with Fareeha, before deepening the kiss. One hand supported her weight, the other sought Fareeha's hair. Fareeha's hands found Angela's waist in turn, pulling her down and quickly eliminating the space between them. Angela left Fareeha's lips causing her to whimper in disappointment, which turned to a gasp of pleasure as Angela began to search for sensitive spots on Fareeha's neck with her mouth. She smiled against her neck each time she found one. A breathy moan hissed out of Fareeha when Angela nipped one spot experimentally. Angela couldn't help but moan herself as Fareeha's hands gripped her back, nails grating her skin through the fabric of her shirt. 

Fareeha's breaths became ragged as Angela continued her work. Her hands found Angela's face, and guided her so they were face to face again. She pulled Angela into a deep kiss. They savored the taste of one another, enjoying the sensation as their tongues met between parted lips. They broke apart for a breath, and Angela's stomach growled audibly, causing Fareeha to giggle. Angela did too, collapsing into the crook of Fareeha's neck as spasms of laughter wracked their frames.

“I suppose that's what I get for trying to eat dessert first.” Angela said when they had calmed down somewhat. Fareeha answered with another kiss before sitting up. She waved her arm in the direction of the food, just out of her reach, and grunted. Angela stood up and retrieved the food from where it sat. She handed Fareeha her half empty container, before jumping onto the bed they had been sharing for the past week. She stretched herself out and grabbed the remote, flicking the TV on. Fareeha went to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water. She took her place beside Angela on the bed, and they settled in to watch the local news and finish their meal. After they had finished Fareeha disposed of the containers into kitchen garbage and returned to the bed, wrapping an arm around the doctor. Angela responded by pressing a quick peck to Fareeha's cheek before cuddling up and wrapping her arms around the soldiers body. Fareeha hummed pleasantly as Angela traced patterns on her chest. The two savored the alone time with each other, intimate moments like this were few and far between. It was the first alone time for the couple since they departed the Calgary a fortnight ago. Not that Kip, Delyinn and Darys had been intrusive. On the contrary they had done their best give the new couple space. There had simply been too much to do with regards to the mission.

“What time is it?” Fareeha asked, noticing the light outside the window had dimmed.

“Time for you to get a watch?” Fareeha giggled at Angela's joke. 

“It seems I'm rubbing off on you.” She said with a smile. Angela groaned.

“I can't believe I said that.” She sat up and checked the clock on on the bedside table. She immediately missed the warmth of Fareeha's embrace. “2010 hours is the time by the way." Fareeha frowned as Angela lay back down.

“What's wrong?” the doctor queried.

“Delyinn and Darys should have been back at 2000 hours.” Fareeha answered. She fished around her pocket for the prepaid mobile phone issued to her by fleet intelligence. “No texts or missed calls.”

“I'm sure it's just traffic. You know how slow the security checkpoints get this close to curfew.”

“True.” Fareeha admitted. “It's not like them to be late though.”

“I'm sure they are fine.”

“I know, I'm just...” Fareeha sighed, “I'm worried. I've had a bad feeling all day and I can't see to shake it.”

“Bad feeling about what?” Angela looked up, concerned.

“The mission. The whole time we've been here something has felt off.”

“I know what you mean. There is tension in the air. The city feels like a powder keg with the fuse already lit.”

“Not just that.” Fareeha looked away. “The last time I had a feeling like this was...” she paused, collecting her thoughts. “It was the week my mother went missing.”

Angela didn't say anything. Instead she wrapped her arms around Fareeha and held her close. Her fingers traced patterns on Fareeha's bicep, and Angela felt her breathing slow as Fareeha relaxed. After a while Fareeha leaned down and pressed a kiss to Angela's scalp.

“Thank you.” she whispered.

“Anytime.” was Angela's soft reply.

 

It was almost 2100 hours before Delyinn and Darys finally showed up. Fareeha and Angela hurried to help them move the bulky Raptora suits into the room from their rental car. When that was completed the two soldiers collapsed on their bed, utterly exhausted. Angela went to heat up their food while Fareeha moved the car back to it's parking spot. Only when she had returned did Delyinn speak.

“Someone knows we are here. That's why we are late, we had to shake a car that was following us.”

“I take it that's what took you so long?” Fareeha asked. Darys nodded.

“They were very persistent. The constant check points didn't help either.”

“Did you manage to get a look at them?|

“Sort of. They were all wearing helmets with full face masks which had some sort of breathing apparatus attached.”

“Were they armed?”

“Couldn't tell, but if I had to guess I'd say they were.”

“Could they be Jovian Enterprise security?” Angela asked. Fareeha shook her head.

“Jovian is much more subtle than that.” She said. “They offered me a job a few years back. Gave me a tour of their training facility on Titan. The recruiting officer went on and on about their philosophy. If they were Jovian agents they would be plainclothes. When did they start following you?”

“After we picked up our gear from the shuttle.” Delyinn answered.

“Did you warn Hana?”

“Yes, the second we noticed. We didn't call you just in case they tried to triangulate your location from our mobile phone signal.”

“Good call. Pun intended.” Fareeha winked at Angela, who rolled her eyes in response. “What about Kip?”

“He knows. He made sure to relocate twice just in case. His last message indicated the neighborhood around the bar was being watched by at least two groups. One with the masks we described, the other in plainclothes.”

“Obviously somebody other than Jovian is after McCree.” Fareeha said to Angela.

“I agree, but who?” She asked.

“Maybe whoever is selling Deadlock their gear?” Darys offered.

“That would make sense.” Said Fareeha, “It would take out our only lead.”

“Should I call Jesse?” Angela asked. Fareeha nodded.

“Do it from a public terminal, I'll go with you. Curfew doesn't kick in until 2200 hours so we have time to walk there and back.”

“So new plan?” Angela queried. Fareeha nodded, biting her lip absentmindedly as she one formulated in her head.

“We'll tell Jesse to expect trouble, but we won't change the meeting time. My guess is whoever these guys are, they will be counting on us to lead them to Jesse. I think I've got an idea.”

 

1145 Hours, June 6th, 2545,  
Eastwood Bar and Grill, Newport

Fareeha glanced around the bar again, scanning the patrons for any sign of trouble. Aliens from all corners of the galaxy mingled and drank, while the scent of grilled delicacies wafted through the air. In one corner a band had set up, and were now filling the establishment with music. Fareeha's foot tapped along to the beat as they played covers of various rock and roll tunes, while Angela studied the menu across their small table.

“They claim to do “Authentic Earth style BBQ” with a Shantari twist.” She said. She took sip from her tea. “Don't the Shantari prefer their food raw and squirming?”

Fareeha nodded her head absentmindedly, eyes still roving the bar.

“Are you even listening to me?” Angela asked, tapping Fareeha's arm. Fareeha's arm slowly inched toward her holstered pistol. Open carry was permitted on Talos VI, although only sidearms up to a certain size.

“Here comes trouble.” she said quietly, eyes on the door.

Angela gave the door a quick glance, spotting six masked figures entering the bar.

“They are armed.” Angela observed before turning her gaze back to Fareeha. “And their masks look like the ones we saw this morning.”

Fareeha nodded, easing her pistol partway out of it's holster. Angela did the same. By now the band had stopped playing, and looked to be packing up at a fast pace. The serving staff were hustling too and fro in a desperate attempt to keep up with the number of patron wanting to pay and leave.

“Apparently not all of them bought our little trick.”

That morning a car had left the hotel they were staying at, making a beeline for the civilian spaceport. A glance inside would appear to reveal four heavily armored figures, three humans and a singular Imari. A much more detailed look would reveal that the two humans hunkered in the back seat were nothing more than suits of armor stuffed with pillows and blankets. Fareeha and Angela had watched Delyinn and Darys drive off from inside the hotel room, before sneaking out the back window and walking the few blocks and hailing a cab.

“Still going to stick with the plan?” Angela asked. Fareeha nodded her head slightly in response.

“Their presence changes nothing. Get McCree, run to Kip's overlook and have the shuttle get us from the roof. Let's just hope this friend of yours is discreet.”

“Uhhhh...well..”

Fareeha sighed and shook her head.

“Jesse isn't what you would call...subtle. It'll make sense when you see him.”

“Well I only have four magazines with my so we can't afford much confrontation.”

“I know, but these guys,” Angela gestured to the masked men, “Will have to be dealt with.”

Fareeha scanned the bar again, her eyes settling on the newcomers every now and then to see if they had been spotted. So far so good. Angela even ordered food, mostly to keep up appearances, they had ate before they left the hotel. It arrived soon after, as the intruders moved table to table, questioning the remaining patrons. Fareeha noticed the table nearest to the door began to get fidgety.

“Jovian security.” she said as she pointed it out to Angela. “You can see the bulges from their holsters.”

“Lets hope they take care of each other then.”

At that moment, Fareeha saw a new patron set into the bar. On his head rested a weather beaten brown cowboy hat and a tan poncho, which looked equally as old, was draped over his shoulders. He had a six shot revolver, heavily modified, holstered at his waist and brown leather chaps, complete with matching boots. Fareeha noticed his left arm was prosthetic, the silver metal dull and scratched. He looked straight out of another time period, and had the situation not been as tense Fareeha might have laughed a little at his appearance. 

“That's him?” she asked Angela, who looked over and then back to Fareeha with a smile.

“Yup, that's him.”

“You weren't kidding about the lack of subtly.”

“His taste in clothing is...eccentric.” Angela admitted. Fareeha had to agree. Before she could get his attention, one of the plainclothes security officers stood up and showed his badge. Fareeha's hands inched back to her holster, as did Angela's. The bar went quiet.

“Are you Jesse McCree?” The man asked. Jesse nodded. “Would you happen to know anything about the disappearance of Tolak Kolthas?”

McCree reached inside his poncho and pulled out a cigar. He sniffed it, running it under his nose.

“Tolak Kolthas? Never heard of him.”

“Is that so?” The officer challenged.

“Indeed it is.” McCree replied. He put the cigar between his teeth and pulled out his lighter. He flicked it open and lit the cigar. Twirling the lighter between his fingers, he took a long drag and blew a smoke ring in the air.

“You got any more questions?” He looked the officer in the eye.

“You are aware the profession of bounty hunting is illegal in this system? It's bad for business.”

“Naturally.”

“Care to explain your visit?”

“I'll tell you the same thing I told the customs officer when I arrived. Just came here to see the sights, not to cause trouble.” McCree smirked, “I hear that's bad for business.”

“Just remember we are watching you Mr. McCree.”

“I will. And if I run into this Kolfas fellow I'll let you know.” With that Jesse strode to the bar and ordered a shot of whisky. The security officers rose as one and filed out of the bar. As they did the masked men began to encircle McCree. The bartender hurried to pour the shot before racing for the safety of the back room. Fareeha made to get up but was stopped by a hand on hr arm.

“Not yet,” Angela said, “He can handle himself.”

“Angela there are six of them-” Her further protests were cut off by Angela's finger on her lips.

“Trust me on this.” Fareeha reluctantly agreed.

The six men formed a semicircle around Jesse, hemming him in against the bar.

“Jesse McCree,” the leader said, his voice heavily modulated by his helmet, “Your a popular man.”

“So it would seem.” McCree replied, keeping his back to the men. He downed his shot and turned around. “What can I do for you?”

“Shut up and put your hands in the air.” The leader replied.

“Easy there fellas, like I told the officer earlier, I'm not here to cause trouble.”

Fareeha fidgeted impatiently. Angela shot her a warning glance and shook her head.

“I said hands up, lets go cowboy!”

“I don't like your tone mister.” McCree said, narrowing his eyes. The cigar twitched in his mouth. “I'll give you one warning, step off.”

A couple of the masked men laughed, the robotic tone sending shivers down Angela's spine.

“I don't think so. Hands up or I'm going to have to get physical.”

“I see how it is.” McCree replied. The corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile. “Would any of you gentlemen happen to know the time?”

“The wha-” The leaders reply was cut off by McCree. He drew his revolver and fired off six shots in rapid succession. The six men fell dead, each with a bullet hole between their eyes. Jesse twirled his revolver before flicking it open and ejecting the shell casings. He neatly drew six new cartridges from his bandoleer and slid them into his gun. He snapped the revolver back together with a flick of his wrist before twirling and holstering the weapon with practiced ease. He walked over to the body of the leader, took out his cigar, and spat on the mans covered face.

“It's high noon.” he said, giving the body a hefty kick. He turned to face Angela and Fareeha. “And how long were you going to watch me before saying hello?”

“You seemed to have things under control.” Angela shot back with a smirk. Jesse walked over and embraced Angela. Fareeha felt a tiny flare of jealousy in her stomach as she watched.

“It's good to see you Ang,” he said when they parted, “Been far too long.”

“Indeed. Jesse this is 1st Lieutenant Fareeha Amari.” Angela gestured to Fareeha, who gave Jesse a terse nod.

“Names McCree.” he said extending his hand. Fareeha shook it firmly. “Jesse McCree. You wouldn't happen to be-”

“Captain Amari's daughter?” She finished for him. “That's me.”

“She was a hell of a good shot, even gave me a few pointers.” He looked around the bar, which was now deserted. “We should probably get out of here before security comes back.”

Angela nodded.

“We have a shuttle in the air as we speak. The rendezvous is a few blocks away.” she pulled out her credit chit. “I'll go pay and we can be on our way.” She waved off Fareeha's attempts to pay for her own meal. “You bought me dinner last night, it's my turn.”

Once Angela was out of earshot Jesse spoke.

“So you and the doc eh?”

Fareeha nearly choked on the last mouthful of water from her glass. Jesse laughed.

“Are we that obvious?”

“No, don't worry. I've known Angela a long time, since we were seventeen.” He smiled at Fareeha, tapping his temple. “It's in her eyes, and the subtle touches.”

Fareeha could only agree and nod dumbly.

“She's a keeper.” He winked at her, before his tone grew serious. “But she deserves the best.”

“I know. Hopefully I can be good enough for her.”

“You are Ana Amari's daughter, you are more than qualified on genetics alone.” He gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Just be yourself. Ang hasn't been in a serious relationship since she turned 21, point being she doesn't date just anyone.”

Fareeha nodded.

“Thanks.” She decided to go deeper. “Why tell me this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone I've met who knew Angela previously has basically told me that if I hurt her they'll come after me. I don't get why people are so protective, do they not understand I'm just as devoted to her?” She was on the verge of shouting the last line. “Sorry, that came out a bit harsh, it's just...I like her. A lot.” She added quietly.

“No worries.” McCree replied. He looked at Angela, who had finally managed to convince the bartender to come out of the back room so she could pay. “Everyone who survived the destruction of the Overwatch owes their lives to her. Hell she saved most of us several times before that fateful day too. She's family to a lot of us and we, as I'm sure you've heard before, look after our own.”

“We are not trying, or at least I'm not seeing as I can't speak for the rest of the old crew, to imply that you are good enough for her. Angela decided to take a chance on you, that's all the convincing I need that you are more than perfect for her. I just don't want to see her hurt, as anyone would their sister or mother. She's had a rough life, despite what she says Deneb has never left her mind. I just want to see her smile, and if you make her do that, I'm all for it.”

“No pressure.” Jesse added with a wink, and Fareeha laughed. They watched Angela return together, Fareeha mulling over Jesse's words. Angela seemed to notice.

“I hope you were not giving her a hard time.” Angela said when she arrived. Her arm instinctively wrapped around Fareeha's waist. Jesse shook his head.

“Just some friendly advice.”

“That's even worse.”

Fareeha laughed, and Angela pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“We should get moving.”

The trio stepped out the front entrance only to be stopped by the security team from earlier. There guns were drawn, and this time Jesse took the lead by slowly putting is hands up. Before the leader could say anything, his head exploded in a could of red mist, showering those around him with bits of bits of brain and bone.

“SNIPER!” screamed one of the guards, before he too fell to the ground with a shattered skull. The remaining guards scattered for cover and the trio took the opportunity to begin sprinting east, the direction of Kip's hideout.

“Kip I said do not engage until we request support!” Fareeha shouted angrily into her earpiece.

“That wasn't me LT!” Kip responded, clearly flustered. “I'd suggest getting to cover.”

Fareeha shoved Jesse behind a nearby car, before her and Angela followed suit. All three drew their weapons. Security officers poured into the street from the surrounding alleys. Some began shouting at the trio to drop their weapons. Then the sniper opened up again, sending them to cover as well, leaving four of their brethren dead on the pavement. Suddenly masked men rounded the corner to the west and opened fire on the security officers. A fierce firefight between the two parties developed and Fareeha sensed their opportunity.

“Move!” she shouted, and they sprang from cover at full speed. They dashed up the street, not daring to look back at the chaos behind them. A shot rang out, hitting a light post inches from Jesse's head. They kept running, civilians left and right were scrambling to get off the street, hampering their progress. Fortunately they saw their destination. Two blocks away rose a four story red brick apartment building, clearly abandoned for some time.

“Almost there!” Angela said between breaths. Another shot, and a car to their right exploded as it's gas tank was ruptured. 

“Into the alley, quick!” Fareeha ushered Angela and Jesse out of the open. She glanced towards the extraction point. There was no cover. “Kip I need that fucker gone before we can get to you!”

“I've got the location. Brown department store, 7 blocks away. Either third or fourth story window. I need one more shot out of him to get his exact position.”

“Shit.” Fareeha muttered to herself. She turned back to the other two. “Stay here, I'm going to draw his fire.”

“I'll cover you.” Jesse offered. Fareeha shook her head.

“Save your ammo. Angela will do it, her blaster doesn't use it.”

Angela gave her a look.

“I'll be fine.” Fareeha tried to reassure her, “This guy can't aim for shit.”

“Just...” Fareeha silenced her with a heated kiss on the mouth. Jesse whistled, causing Angela to smack his arm. She flipped the toggle on her Caduceus blaster to “Automatic” mode and exhaled. 

“Ready?” Fareeha asked. Angela nodded. “ Here we go Kip! On my mark. Three. Two. One. Mark!”

Angela rounded the corner and sprayed fire in the direction of the sniper. Fareeha sprinted across the street as fast as her legs could carry her. A shot rang out, kicking up dust at her feet. She reached the other side of the street and threw herself into cover in the alley opposite Angela and Jesse.

“Got him?” She asked Kip, her breathing heavy from exertion.

“Affirmative, need one more while I take the shot.”

“Angela, on my mark!” She shouted across the street, “Three! Two! One! Mark!” 

Fareeha ran back the way she came, and Angela once again sprayed fire down the street. Angela heard two shots, in rapid succession, and a muffled grunt as Fareeha hit the ground hard.

“Got him!” Kip reported, but Angela was not paying attention. She raced over to Fareeha's prone form. There was blood on the pavement, and Angela had to take several calming breaths before she gently rolled the body over. To her immense relief she found Fareeha smiling back. She had a long cut on her cheek, which Angela's expert eye recognized as a bullet graze, and her knees and elbows were scraped. She gave the wounds a quick inspection, and quickly determined Fareeha was still in good shape.

“Did it hurt?” Fareeha asked suddenly.

“Did what hurt?” Angela replied, confused.

“When you fell from heaven, cause baby you're an angel.” Fareeha replied with a silly grin. Angela sat there dumbfounded for a moment. “Sorry, I didn't me-” Whatever Fareeha was going to say was lost as Angela crashed her lips against Fareeha's. She wrapped her arms around the doctor and deepened the kiss.

“Pull another stunt like that and you are going to need a guardian angel.” Angela said when they parted.

“Good thing I have you then.” Fareeha replied. Jesse cleared his throat behind them.

“I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but we should get moving. That sniper might have friends nearby.”

Angela helped Fareeha to her feet. She hissed in pain as the scrapes on her limbs moved.

“You sure you are okay?” Jesse asked. Fareeha waved him off.

“Can't really do much about it until we get to the shuttle anyways, Angela's staff is on it.”

Kip's voice suddenly sounded in their ears.

“Multiple armed individuals approaching one block down. Recommend getting the hell out of there!”

“Acknowledged! Shit we gotta move.” Fareeha led the way to the building, albeit at a slightly slower pace due to her injuries. “Main stairway goes all the way to the roof. Do not stop, no matter what.” She shoved Jesse in front. “You especially, we need you alive.”

“And here I thought you were beginning to like me” Jesse chuckled as hey reached the door. Fareeha heard shouting and looked back down the street. Masked men were advancing towards them, led by a menacing looking figure in a black trench coat. Its mask was the color bleached bone, and reminded Fareeha of an owl's face. It was firing indiscriminately as they advanced, making the creatures intentions clear. One by one the men around it began to fall, as Kip picked them off as fast as he could.

“There's too many of them!” His voice sounded panicked. “Get inside now!”

The trio hurried inside. Jesse pulled a small cylinder off his belt. He fiddled with it for a moment before tossing it outside and slamming the door.

“Flash-bang.” He said when Fareeha asked what it was.

“Good idea.” She replied, and they made for the stairs. They rushed up as fast as they could. They were greeted with bullets when they made it too the third floor. The intruders had reached the bottom of the stair well. Jesse tossed another flash-bang down. Together he and Fareeha emptied their weapons on the stunned men below. The quickly reached the top, Angela and Jesse rushing through the door and onto the roof. Fareeha was about to, only to hear a strange whooshing noise behind her. She turned around to find herself face to face with the creature in black, it's body materializing out a black cloud of vapor. She emptied a clip into it, and its body dissipated into dust, only to reform before her astonished eyes.

“What the fuck?!” She shouted in alarm.

“Tell your mother I said hi.” It growled, and swung a spiked fist at her. She blocked it with swipe of her arm, and brought the other one up to pistol whip it's masked face. The white plastic cracked under the force of the blow, chunks of it scattering across the room, revealing grey and diseased looking flesh underneath. This seemed to enrage the thing, and it landed a sweeping kick, knocking Fareeha to the floor. A shotgun materialized in it's hand and it aimed it at her chest.

“Adios.” It spat. Before it could pull the trigger she planted a kick to the thing's groin, sending it stumbling back towards the railing. She sprang to her feet and slammed a fist to the outside of the creatures outstretched arm. There was an audible crack as the elbow snapped under the blow, causing it to drop the gun. It used it's other arm and the railing to steady itself. With one smooth motion she grabbed the shotgun, swung it around, and fired, blowing a massive hole in it's chest. The force of the impact knocked it over the railing and fell down the stair well.

Fareeha didn't waste time to see it the thing had reformed. She rushed through the door to the roof and slammed it shut behind her. Angela was there, using a chunk of her shirt to bandage Jesse's arm.

“After he knocked you down a few managed to get up the stairs.” Angela explained. Jesse pointed to the stack of bodies by the door with his mechanical hand.

“Got 'em all but one of the bastards landed a lucky shot.”

“Where is Kip?” Fareeha asked as she moved away from the door.

“Here ma'am.” Fareeha turned in the direction of the voice, seeing Kip hunkered down at the far end of the roof. “The sniper is back, although she can't shoot. Seems I only hit her weapon.”

“She?” 

“Female human, or at least I think she is human. Her skin is a strange color.”

“We'll look at your scope recordings back on the Calgary when this is over. Right now we need to get out of here, before that...thing comes back.”

The door shuddered under an impact.

“Shit, now would be a great time to appear D.Va!” Fareeha said into her earpiece. “Angela make sure to get Jesse on first. Kip I want you to pack up and help me with the door.”

Kip's answer was to fire a single round from his anti-material rifle through the centre of the door. The result was several muffled screams on the other side.

“That works too, just be ready to run.” Fareeha used the moment to take cover behind an air duct, not exactly the sturdiest piece of cover, but far better than nothing. The door shuddered under another blow and Kip replied with another round. The result was the same.

“I have visual on the LZ!” Hana's voice was sweet music to Fareeha's ears.

“Angela get ready!” she shouted. The door shuddered again, hinges barely keeping it attached to the frame. Kip fired a third round, only this time the door exploded in a shower of splinters. Fareeha didn't hesitate, firing rapidly at the figure pouring through the opening. Angela and Jesse opened fire as well, stemming the tide for the moment. Fareeha knew it wouldn't last though, there were simply too many hostiles and not enough ammo. They were going to be overrun.

“Last mag!” she shouted, slamming it into her pistol. The black figure was back, walking menacingly towards her. She drew a bead on his head, and methodically fired her last seven rounds. She smiled in satisfaction as each one struck their mark, and the creature's form began to lose shape. Her gun clicked, signalling it was empty. She stood up, took a deep breath, and stared death in the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHH sorry about the cliffhanger =P it was the perfect ending point though I swear. The next chapter is halfway done already so it should be up withing the first week of the new year. In other new fuck 2016, I'm so glad it's almost fucking over. Losing Carrie Fisher and her mother right at the end really hurt, in what has already been a shitty year. In addition to all the terrible things that happened it hasn't been the best year for me on a personal level either. I was diagnosed with anxiety (which has caused bouts of depression from time to time and is directly related to the deaths of two close family members in 2014 and 2015), and had to say goodbye to another family member. I guess one positive thin is I started playing Overwatch, and became a part of this amazing community that has sprung up around this game. I've been part of various fandoms for almost 10 years now, but this is the first one where I've actually been inspired to create content for it. This is a huge step for me, and this game, the lovely stories and pictures people have created regarding it has without a doubt saved my life. I started writing this story partly as stress relief, and to help deal with the pain and grief that's been building up in me for the better part of 3 years and I'm so incredibly grateful that people are reading and even enjoying it. Seriously thank you all so much, this has been an amazing experience so far and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. Your comments, no matter how small, always make my day and every time I see the kudos or hit counter increase I can't help but grin like an idiot haha
> 
> So I'm wishing all of you a happy new year, and let's hope it's better than the last one because 2016 fucking sucked. Anyways thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy!


	11. Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WhAtSuPdOrK!

The thing in black cackled.

“Nowhere to run now.” He raised his shotguns.

“PHARAH GET DOWN!” Her training kicked in and she dove for cover, rolling to break her fall. She heard a low pop followed by a frustrated roar. She peeked out of cover to see the figure holding his face and flailing about as if blinded, the work of Jesse's flash-bang.

“Shuttle is here!” Angela shouted. Fareeha didn't look back as she sprinted to the open area of the roof. To her relief she could see the silhouette of the shuttle racing towards her.

“She's coming in a little fast don't you think?” Kip asked as he joined them.

“DOWN!” Hana barked over the radio. The four of them hit the deck and the shuttle whipped overhead, through the air occupied by their heads mere seconds before. There was a method to Hana's apparent madness as she took out the men who had emerged from the door. The shuttle completely demolished the roof exit, and sent the men around it flying off the side of the building. The spray from the engines even vaporized the thing in black, dispersing his cloud although Fareeha could see it beginning to coalesce. They had to leave, the sooner the better. Hana looped the shuttle around as bullets fired by the men on the ground pinged off the hull plating. She set it down on the roof, the side door partway open before she had fully touched down. Delyinn was at the door, and helped the four of them get inside.

“Strap in, I'm gonna need coms, nav and gunners!” Hana ordered.

Delyinn returned to the coms station while Fareeha and Jesse occupied the side gunners seats. Angela gave Jesse's arm a quick burst from her staff before strapping into the navigation chair. As on the trip over Kip has the rear guns, while Darys was copilot. Hana pounded the throttle and the shuttle lurched into the air.

“We've got incoming!” Darys reported. “Six marks at heading 253.”

“That will be Jovian security.” Fareeha said, “F-124 Super Raptors according to fleet intelligence. Our orders are not to engage if we can help it. We are not here to start a war.”

“I can't outrun six of them,” Hana told her, “But I have an idea that might shake some loose.”

“Just do the best you can.”

Fareeha felt her stomach lurch as the shuttle suddenly lost altitude. They were now at street level, and the fighters had closed to firing distance.

“Why aren't they shooting at us?” Angela asked.

“They don't want to hit the buildings or people. Collateral damage is bad for business.” Jesse answered, “As long as we hug the city, they won't fire for risk of hitting stuff other than us.” He adjusted the cigar in his mouth. “To bad we can't warp from here.”

“That would be too easy.” Kip chimed in from the back. The occupants were thrown violently in their seats as Hana took a tight turn onto Davisport's main boulevard. “I love a good challenge.”

“You aren't the one flying.” Hana quipped back, but it was all in good fun.

“Lt I have Lena on the line,” Delyinn announced, “Patching her through to you console.”

The screen beside Fareeha flickered to life, and was immediately filled with Lena's face.

“Finally!” She exclaimed, concern clearly evident underneath her goggles, “I've been trying to reach you for hours now. Something was jamming the signal.” 

The shuttle rocked again as Hana swerved to avoid an overhead mag-lev train.

“They've shut down the airspace.” Lena continued. “Nobody is allowed into the atmosphere. I saw one of their frigates fry a passenger liner that didn't heed the warning.”

“Shit.” Fareeha swore. She had the sudden urge to throw something. “Get yourselves out of here, there isn't much you would be able to do for us right now anyway.”

“You sure Fareeha?” Lena didn't look convinced.

“That's an order. We'll meet you on Bashir II.”

“Copy that, good luck. Tracer out.” The monitor went black as Lena ended the transmission.

“Hana they've closed the airspace. We need to get out of here before they get a planetary blockade in place!”

“Roger that Lt, that's going to mean some shooting though.”

“Let the record show it was my decision. Engage the pursuing craft, but attempt to minimize collateral damage.” Fareeha ordered.

“Copy that Lt!” Kip shouted from the back, and the rhythmic sound of the rear guns soon filled the ship.

“Hold on, I'm going to try to lose them over the river.”

Hana throttled up, and the shuttle rocketed for the river on the outskirts of the city. Already the pursuing F-124's had several missed with the buildings, and as the shuttle weaved through several cranes in a construction site their luck ran out. One of the fighters clipped a crane with it's wing, shearing it off and sending the craft into an uncontrollable spin. The death spiral ended abruptly with a violent collision with the ground. The shock-wave from the explosion rocked the nearby cranes, and proved too much for the one that had been clipped. It collapsed, falling onto its neighbor, a started a domino effect that soon toppled all the cranes at the site.

“So much for avoiding collateral damage.” Jesse remarked.

Fareeha pursed her lips, this was going to be hard to explain. Kip soon reduced their pursuers to three, a lucky hit on the port engine of one F-124 caused it to swerve into it's neighbor, taking them both out of the sky in a fiery explosion.

“Nice shot!” Delyinn congratulated, but Kip didn't hear. He was too busy trying to keep the other three fighters from attaining a decent firing position. Upon reaching the river Hana made a sharp turn and began to race upstream. The shuttle was just a few meters off the surface of the water and the engines kicked up a massive spray of water behind it. This helped to obscure the shuttle from the pursuing fighters, and thus made a harder target to shoot. Fareeha glanced out the side window and saw tracers whipping past, landing in the water around the shuttle as it weaved to and fro.

“They're shooting at us!” She announced, and there was a grunt of acknowledgement from the cockpit.

“Bridge coming up!” Angela said, her voice calm.

“Acknowledged.” Hana responded. “Darys prepare to kill thrusters and retract all external modules on my mark.”

They sped towards the bridge with Hana aiming the shuttle to fly under the span, close to one of the supports. The automatic collision warning began to go off.

“Obstacle ahead, pull up.” it droned over and over.

“Somebody turn that thing off!” yelled Hana, and Darys silenced it with a few quick keystrokes.

“Here we go!” Hana announced as they closed with the bridge. “Brace for impact! Three! Two! One! Kill thrust and retract all modules!” She slammed the controls, throwing the shuttle hard to the left just as they passed under the bridge. It swung round the support and Hana popped the nose straight up. She waited until the pursuing fighters had passed under the bridge before throttling up. The spray kicked up by the shuttle meant that the fighters didn't notice their their quarry had disappeared until the shuttle had built up a healthy lead. They changed course to pursue, and began to gain on Hana.

“Divert all power to engines!” Hana ordered when Angela alerted her to their pursuers catching on. “Is everything retracted?”

“Affirmative.” Darys responded. “Thirty seconds until we clear the atmosphere.”

“Current trajectory analysis indicates they will catch us just as we leave it.” Angela sounded worried.

“No they won't. The F-124 is an in atmosphere interceptor. It cannot operate in a vacuum.” Hana replied. “Once we clear the atmosphere we won't have to worry about them anymore.”

“Two frigates on an intercept course!” said Darys. “They are almost in firing range.”

“Angela plot us a jump to Bashir II. Hana, do it as soon as we clear the planet. Don't wait for an order!” Fareeha said, urgency in her voice.

“Ten seconds till we clear the atmosphere.” Angela responded.

“I have visual on the frigates” Darys reported, “They are powering weapons.”

“Jump plotted, Hana you are clear to engage warp!” Angela shouted. She slid her chair over to Fareeha's and gave her hand a squeeze.

“They are firing!” Darys' voice was shrill with excitement.

“It's either fast jump or I evade, which one Lt?” Hana asked.

“How long until the warp drive is charged?” Fareeha queried back.

“Ten seconds” was Hana's answer.

“Maintain course, jump ASAP. Let's hope they haven't calibrated recently.” Fareeha replied grimly.

The shuttle rocked as several plasma rounds impacted the hull.

“Damage report!” Hana ordered.

“Nothing yet, the armor took most of it.” Darys answered back.

“Copy that.” Hana replied. “Five seconds to jump.”

“Four.” Fareeha took a deep breath.

“Three.”

“Another volley incoming!”

“Two.”

“One.” 

“Jump!” Hana engaged the warp drive and the shuttle disappeared, plasma bolts sizzling through the space it had occupied. Fareeha let out the breath she had been holding.

“That was close.” Jesse remarked as he undid his straps. Fareeha did as well, giving Angela's shoulder a quick squeeze before heading to the cockpit; Meanwhile Angela went to examine Jesse's arm that she had hastily patched up during takeoff. When Fareeha arrived, she found Hana with her helmet off and slouched over the controls.

“Nice flying.” Fareeha said warmly, ruffling the already disheveled hair in the pilots head.

“Thanks Lt,” she responded, forehead still resting on the dash, “but I think I need a nap now.”

“We could all do with some rest.”

 

3 Hours Later,  
Bashir II

 

The cockpit of the shuttle afforded Fareeha with a breathtaking view of Bashir II. The green expanse of tropical jungle stretched to the horizon in all directions. Settled by the Caphevad Republic over two hundred years ago, the mostly backwater world was going through a period of economic boom. This was due to its proximity to the BFCZ and that it was the only system in the sector capable of supporting the extensive wave of colonization efforts. The shipyards in particular were going through a period of explosive growth, a fact not lost on LCDF High Command. The small garrison had been heavily reinforced, and substantial orbital defenses constructed. In addition the 13th Fleet, commanded by human Admiral S'bu Ngoma, had been assigned to the system. It patrolled the border with the BCDF, and used Bashir as its home port. In short it was a welcome sight for the battle weary group in Hana's shuttle. A safe haven where they could inform the captain what happened and decide their next move.

As the shuttle cruised through the atmosphere, Delyinn established contact with the main LCDF base near the capital.

“You are clear to land at bay six, we will have the holo-com room ready for you when you touch down.” The controller informed them. Hana angled the shuttle to start the decent.

“Darys once we are down I want you and Hana to preform an inspection of the shuttle. Make sure everything is in good shape.” Fareeha said. “If it's not, fix it. The captain had priority parts requisition forms filled out in case we needed them.” She handed a tablet to Darys. “Everything you need is on this.”

“Roger that Lt” Hana replied, not taking her eyes off the controls.

“Del get on the coms and tell Lena to be ready to take off at a moments notice. When you are done, assist Kip in replenishing our ammo, food, water and whatever other supplies we might need for the trip to Haven.” The two soldiers nodded in affirmation. “I want to be ready to leave, mechanical issues permitting, the moment Angela, Jesse and myself are out of the holo-com room.”

“Guess that answers my question.” Jesse said to nobody in particular.

“Coming up on the capital now.” Hana said. “Strap in for landing.”

The crew did as instructed.

“Nice view of the capitol coming up out the port side.” She added. Those who could rotate their seats did, those who couldn't craned their neck for a glimpse.

As sentient fungoids, the Caphevad grew their buildings rather than construct them. A specific plant, native to their home planet of Chox, was used for this purpose. As it grew, it was guided into the shape of massive columns, with bulges at regular intervals serving as rooms. The orange colored surface appeared damp, and pulsated as if breathing (which in fact it was, and is also the reason why the Caphevad didn't require extensive ventilation systems for their buildings). The view of countless spires, their bio-luminescent portions still glowing int he early morning gloom, was nothing short of breathtaking. Fareeha had been in the navy since she turned 18, and in here 14 years of service she had crisscrossed the galaxy and seem many amazing sights, but never anything quite like this. The city stretched for miles, with hundreds of columns doting the landscape. The LCDF base, with its grey buildings of concrete and steel, stood out in stark contrast. It was a large base, covering several square miles on the southern outskirts of the city.

The skies around the base were filled with craft flitting too and fro. Cargo shuttles jockeyed for position as they carried supplies and personnel between the base and the various orbital facilities. Fighters taking of for their patrols darted through traffic, like hawks through a flight of geese. Hana guided the shuttle to its designated landing bay with practiced ease, touching down with only a slight jolt. The crew unbuckled and hurried to go about their assigned tasks. Fareeha, Angela and Jesse were down the ramp before it had finished opening, only to be stopped by a rather confused looking soldier at the bottom.

“Uh ma'ams and sir, this is a military instillation so...” He trailed off.

Fareeha reached into her pocket and pulled out her I.D. Card, Angela doing the same. The soldier inspected them, before handing them back with an apology.

“No worries,” Angela told him, “We were undercover, and haven't had an opportunity to change out of out civilian clothes.”

“What about him?” the soldier gestured to Jesse.

“He's with us.” Fareeha said firmly. “Now can you please show us to the holo-com building.”

“Of course ma'am.” He gave Jesse one last suspicious look. “Just make sure he stays out of trouble.”

“You have my word on that.” Fareeha replied. When the soldiers back was turned, Jesse stuck out his tongue and thumbed his nose. Angela had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing, Fareeha just shook her head. 

They walked briskly in the direction of the holo-com room, stopping occasionally at security check points to show I.D. Fareeha and Angela had to use all of their diplomatic skills to get Jesse through some of them, Angela even having to pull rank at one. The final check point before the building flat out refused them entry, much to Fareeha's frustration.

“Get the commandant down here!” She demanded, “Before I lose my patience!”

The look she gave the poor corporal manning the barricade sent him scurrying to his phone to get the commandant. Onlookers seemed to sense the anger bubbling in Fareeha, and gave the lieutenant a wide berth. Jesse seemed oblivious to it all and leaned against a nearby wall, calmly smoking a cigar. Angela tried to stay out of the way, she hated conflict in all its forms; However when it became clear that verbal sparring was the only way to resolve the situation she settled for calming Fareeha so she would at least think before yelling. A simple tap on the shoulder, warm smile, and gentle squeeze of the hand was all it took to make her visibly relax. Her fists were no longer balled and shaking, instead she crossed her arms and looked away. Angela took it as a good sign, and decided to take tings a step further.

“Hey,” she said softly, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Fareeha responded, looking down. She scuffed the floor with the sole of her boot. “Just frustrated. And tired.” Angela nodded.

“I get that. We haven't had any time to decompress from the mission.”

“We're not done the mission yet. Not until he,” she pointed at Jesse, “is safely aboard the Calgary.”

“I think he's pretty safe here. This is the biggest base in the sector, it would be suicide to try anything here.”

Fareeha did not seem convinced.

“You saw the thing in black right?” Angela nodded. “I don't think we are safe from it here, and the men that were following it showed no fear of death. It used them, as cannon fodder, and they died without hesitation. No amount of defenses can keep out those with that kind of resolve.”

“Besides, you saw how ineffective our weapons were against it.” She hesitated before continuing. “He mentioned my mother.”

“Is that what this is about?” Fareeha nodded slightly.

“I still have that feeling Angela. My gut tells me we are not safe here, and then to have that...thing mention my mother..I..I just-”

“Hey it's okay.” Angela said, she rested her hands on Fareeha's hips, as if asking for permission. When Fareeha didn't push her away, she engulfed her in a hug. “You're a little rattled. We had a couple close calls and something happened that we didn't expect, but things are fine.” Angela stepped back. “I don't think you need me to tell you that sometimes luck just isn't on your side.”

Fareeha huffed and crossed her arms again.

“Getting angry about it won't help either, in fact it will likely make this process longer if the commandant decides to be an ass.”

“What do you want me to do?” Fareeha asked, a little exasperated.

“Smile. You look better when you do.” To emphasize her point Angela took a hold of Fareeha's dimples with her fingers, and dragged them into an imitation of a smile.

“See, you look better already!” Angela teased.

Fareeha tried to pout, but found it impossible with Angela's hands on her cheeks. In fact she was finding it very hard to stay mad at all. The tumult of emotions in her belly seemed to settle, and she finally close to normal. She was still frustrated, but the red haze behind her eyes was gone. The calming effect of Angela's touch was undeniable, and she missed it the moment Angela withdrew her hands.

“Thanks.” She said after a minute. Angela responded with a squeeze of the hand.

“Anytime.” She said, stepping back. The commandant arrived moments later.

Things were soon sorted, and Fareeha was able to keep her temper in check. The commandant offered a profuse apology. 

“We've been dealing with saboteurs over the past couple of weeks. Security has been tightened in response.”

“Anything major?” Angela asked.

“Someone planted a bomb in the reactor core of the Battle class frigate Isandlwana. Fortunately it was discovered before it went off.”

“That sounds like a hard thing to do.” Said Fareeha.

“They had help. A very skilled hacker tampered with our security systems, allowing the saboteur to slip inside. The hacker then erased all traces of the intruder, and left this behind.” He held up a tablet. On it was a purple skull, in a cartoon like style. Below it, in bubbly purple letters, was the phrase “¿Quien es Sombra?”.

“Who is Sombra?” Angela asked.

“I would love to find out.” The commandant replied, “Whoever they are, they are very good at what they do. My troops are still finding little surprises all over the place. Silly things, like a coffee machine that only makes dark roast, or a microwave that only works in one minute increments.”

“So they have a sense of humor, in a perverted sort of way.”

“Indeed.” There was a lull in the conversation.

“Is the holo-com room still secure?” Fareeha inquired.

“Of course. It's hard sealed from the rest of the base's network. The same tech used back in the machine war to keep god programs from breaching a ships systems.”

“Good. May we?” Fareeha gestured to the room.

“Of course, take as long as you need.”

 

The trio walked through the check point and into the holo-com building. A large circular structure, its roof held a massive satellite dish. Inside it was rather plain, nothing adorned the white walls or floor. A large blue ring on the floor indicated how large the Quantum Communicator was. Angela sealed the door behind them, before joining Jesse and Fareeha inside the ring. A console rose from the floor, and Fareeha entered the Calgary's QC code. A moment passed while the communicator established a link. There was a flash of blue light, and the ring encircling the trio rose from the floor, scanning the group. It reached the ceiling, and anchored itself.

“Connection established.” The console informed them. A blue 3D image of Satya appeared before them.

“Ah, Lieutenant Amari. The captain is expecting you. I'm patching you through to his quarters.”

Her image disseminated into nothingness, replaced several seconds later by one of the captain.

“Lieutenant Amari, I was wondering when you were going to report. Good to see you Jesse.” The bounty hunter nodded back. “I take it things went well then.”

“Uh not exactly sir.” Fareeha said, rubbing her back in a nervous tick. Angela decided to help Fareeha out.

“It went about as well as the incident involving you, Ana, and Reyes on Dovaris Prime, only with less collateral damage.”

“That bad huh?”

“We have Jesse,” Fareeha told him, “But there were..complications.”

“What kind of complications?”

“Well we had to escape from Jovian security, but there was also a third party. Men wearing masks, and lead by a thing in a black coat. We barely got away from them.”

“Did this 'thing' have a white mask that looked like an owl?”

“As a matter of fact yes. I take it you know of it sir?”

“I used to. I will tell you more in person, but suffice to say that he is very dangerous.”

“He?”

“His name was Gabriel Reyes. He was a good friend.”

“You mean-”

“The same Gabriel from LCS Overwatch? Yes. I will say no further on the matter for now. What is your plan for the time being?”

“Checking the shuttle for damage, and then departing for Haven at the soonest possible moment.”

“Good. I'll have more answers for you when you get back, I promise. Fly safe, Morrison out.”

His image vanished, but the ring didn't disconnect form the ceiling.

“This is odd.” Jesse remarked. He went to the door and tapped on the console. “It's locked.”

Fareeha drew her pistol, scanning the room. Suddenly a bright purple skull appeared where the captains image had been.

“It won't open amigo.” The skull spoke, a heavily modulated voice, but distinctly female. “Shooting it won't work either.” The skull said when Jesse drew his gun.

“Who are you?” Fareeha demanded, “How did you access this room even though it's hard sealed?”

“I am Sombra, and to answer your second question I'm very good at what I do. There are certain avenues of attack an AI ignores.”

“What so you want from us?”

“I'm here to warn you. This base is not safe, he is coming for your cowboy friend.”

“Who?”

“The man in black, the Reaper. Death.”

“Melodramatic much?” Quipped Angela. Sombra seemed amused at this, and laughed.

“Believe me I've tried telling him to tone it down, but it didn't go well.”

“So why help us?”

“The answer is too complicated to get into, but if you accept my offer I will gladly tell you at a later date. The short version is a group I work for from time to time are in over their heads, and messing with powers beyond their comprehension. Deadlock is just the tip of the iceberg, they seek to reawaken an ancient evil.”

“The machines.” Fareeha said softly. The thought sent shivers down her spine, and the room seemed to drop in temperature.

“Yes and I think you will agree with me when I say that is a baaaad idea.” The room was silent for a moment, then Angela spoke up.

“So I assume you are here to help us escape?”

“Escape will only delay. The Reaper, he does not rest until his quarry is dead and if your friend dies, well, stopping them will be much harder.”

“Now hold on just a minute, me? What the hell do I know that is so important?” Jesse asked, clearly confused.

“You aren't. It's not so much what you know, it's who you are connected to. I have it all plotted out.”

“Would you care to enlighten us?” Fareeha asked, clearly losing patience. 

“All in due time. First, you need the reaper off your trail and he wont stop-”

“Until I'm dead, got it.” Jesse cut in. “So we stage my death.”

“Exactly!” Sombra replied, clearly excited that somebody had finally caught on. “The Reaper doesn't know about the second shuttle, the one with your reality-anchored friend. All we have to do is arrange for an "accident" to happen to the first shuttle, and you slip quietly away on the second.”

“Wait how do you know about Lena's shuttle? And why should we trust you? For all we know you could be setting us up to get ambushed on the second one.” Fareeha challenged.

“Ay dios mio, so many questions. Who do you think jammed your transmissions, preventing her from contacting you during the fighting? If I hadn't, the Reaper might have intercepted them and deduced you had backup.” 

Sombra let that sink in before continuing.

“As for trust, it goes both ways. How do I know you are not going to tell the Reaper what I just told you? If he finds out I've betrayed him he'll kill me.”

Fareeha thought things over for a moment. She looked at Angela and Jesse, and received nods of support from them both.

“Very well, we accept your offer.”

“Excellent, this is what we must do.”

 

Two hours later a friendly fire incident was reported by the base on Bashir II. One of the Javelin IV surface to air missile batteries suffered an unexplained technical glitch, causing it to lock onto and destroy an unmarked civilian shuttle that had just taken off. The craft's manifest listed it as containing only one passenger, a bounty hunter named Jesse McCree, who had chartered a flight to Haven for a meeting with LCDF Intelligence. The wreckage was so mangled and spread apart that no body was ever recovered, only ripped pieces of fabric that matched the poncho he was seen wearing the day of the crash. The base's commandant ordered a full investigation into the incident, but nothing ever came of it and the matter and it was soon quietly forgotten.

That evening, under cover of darkness, a second unmarked shuttle slipped out of the base. It flew low to the ground, hugging the treetops to avoid detection. At a point roughly a hundred kilometers from the base the shuttle made a rapid change of course, rocketing straight up into the atmosphere. Upon reaching space the shuttle immediately jumped to warp, its bearing in the direction of Haven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay I met a deadline I set for myself woot! A little shorter than the past few chapters, but not by much. Things are starting to heat up, the next couple chapters are going to see more familiar faces appear and the main plot really kick into gear. Sombra wasn't kidding when she said Deadlock are only the tip of the iceberg. As for her I hope I made her playful enough? I like the HC that she leaves behind little surprises that have nothing to do with her actual mission. Like setting some dudes alarm clock to go off at a random time when she was hacking his neighbors computer or something. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading!


	12. Haven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION: UPDATE INCOMING

0943 Hours Local Time,  
June 9th, 2545,  
Haven, Lyria System

Haven. The Lyria system. The political center of the Lyrian Commonwealth, and its capital. The Slipstream cruised towards the planet, its surface brightly illuminated by the light of the system's star. As it approached, the shuttle found its path blocked by a formidable obstacle. Looming ahead was an unmistakable silhouette. The battleship LCS Warspite, over a kilometer long and bristling with more guns than an entire squadron of City class cruisers. The lead ship of her class, she had seen action in every major battle of the Dawn War. Now she served as flagship of the First Fleet, stationed in the Lyria system to defend the capital. After undergoing an extensive refit at the end of the Dawn War she became the most powerful warship in the known galaxy, a title she has kept and will keep for the foreseeable future.

“Isn't she magnificent?” Delyinn asked as they shuttle approached the behemoth. 

“She's quite a sight, makes the Calgary look like a bulk freighter in comparison.” Darys replied, “I'd love to get a tour of her reactor core.”

“You and half the Corps of Engineers.” Joked Kip.

“They are hailing us.” Delyinn reported, “Admiral Gupta sends his regards and is offering an escort to fly us in.”

“Tell the admiral we would be honored.” Fareeha said. Once Delyinn had ended the transmission Fareeha continued. “Even if it blows the whole low profile thing.”

A flight of four Spitfires detached from a squadron orbiting the battleship and formed up around the Slipstream.

“Destination?” The lead pilot asked.

“LCS Calgary, I believe she is berthed near the John Glenn Academy.” Lena replied.

“Copy that, we'll take you in.”

As they cruised into the atmosphere Fareeha noticed Lena glancing longingly at the fighters alongside them.

“Do you miss it?” Fareeha asked the pilot.

“More than anything.” Lena replied, “It's like nothing I can describe. Where you point, the Spitfire goes. It's effortless, unlike this ol' gal.” She patted the dash of the shuttle. “But there is something to be said about staying anchored to this reality.”

They shared a laugh at that. The remainder of the flight was uneventful, the academy and the familiar shape of LCS Calgary soon coming into view in front of them. The escorting Spitfires waggled their wings before breaking off and returning to the Warspite. Lena guided the Slipsream into the Calgary's hanger, setting the shuttle down gently at its berth. The ramp lowered and the squad disembarked into a deserted hanger.

“I suppose shore leave is more attractive than being a welcoming committee.” Saleh joked as he stepped off the ramp, loaded up with parts of his suit. The rest of Helix squad were similarly burdened, it took them a good fifteen minutes to unload all their gear. Once that was complete Fareeha dismissed them and they went their separate ways, they had been issued with a week of shore leave. No debriefing was required as they had already done so on the flight over, Fareeha recording it on the shuttle and compiling the files to be handed to the captain. While the enlisted personnel hurriedly stowed their gear so they could start their mini-holiday, the three officers were not so lucky. Lena ran off to find Torbjorn so he could begin upgrading the Slipstream back to military standard. She also had a bunch of paperwork to fill out with regards to the destroyed shuttle, due to her duties as transport wing leader. Angela practically dragged Jesse to the med bay to check on his arm, and to catch up on any medical events she may have missed while away. That left Fareeha alone, so she went to deliver the after-action reports to the captain. She was hoping he would also be willing to answer her questions regarding Reyes. She reached his quarters within a few minutes, and knocked on the door.

“Enter.” The captains voice sounded from within, and she did.

“Ah lieutenant, good to see you back safely.” He said after exchanging salutes with her. “Where is Jesse?”

“With Dr. Zeigler in the med bay, Nothing major,” she added when he gave her a concerned look, “Just ensuring a wound is healing properly.”

“I trust it's all in the report?”

“Yes sir.” Fareeha handed him the tablet with all the files. “All reports and debriefings are on it.”

Morrison nodded. He sat down and began to flick through the files with the tablets touch screen. Fareeha lingered at the door, unsure if she was dismissed.

“Sir...” She paused, unsure how to proceed. Fortunately Morrison noticed her predicament.

“Angela and Jesse should be here if we are going to talk about Reyes. Get them, and I will give the report a brief scan in the meantime.”

“Yes sir.” Fareeha saluted and left the room. Her trip to the med bay started at a walk but it increased in pace the closer she got. By the time she reached the door she was at a flat out sprint. She burst into the med bay, panting with exertion. Angela gave her a quizzical look.

“Something wrong?” She asked.

“Captain wants to speak with us. The three of us.” Fareeha replied.

“Very well, this will only take a few minutes.” Angela returned to her examination. Juno, who had been sitting at Angela's feet, finally noticed Fareeha and bounded over. Fareeha spent the rest of Jesse's checkup playing with Juno, much to Angela's amusement. Fareeha chased her around the beds. Each time she stopped Juno pounced at her, barking and wagging her tail. During one of these laps Fareeha slipped, taking out a bed. Juno jumped triumphantly on top of the soldier.

“I think that's enough of that, you silly goof.” Angela said, “Juno that means you too.”

Fareeha pouted. Angela laughed before helping her onto her feet.

“Shall we go see the captain now?” She asked. Jesse and Fareeha nodded, and the trio departed the medical bay without another word.

They arrived several minutes later, to find Morrison siting in his chair with his arms crossed.

“I only want to go over this once,” he said sternly, “So please pay attention.”

The group sat down in the seats provided for them.

“Angela and Jesse know most of this already,” he continued, “So I ask the two of you to bear with me as I bring Fareeha up to speed.” They nodded. 

“As you know LSC Ovewatch was destroyed seven years ago, in 2538. I had just been promoted to captain a few months before, and I chose your mother,” he gestured to Fareeha, “As my executive officer. Gabriel Reyes, who at that time was head of the recon company, wasn't happy with the decision but never caused any trouble over it. We talked, and I made it clear I was going to promote him to head of the whole marine compliment. Ana had also demanded that her role as XO be limited to six months. She hated the bridge, and was much happier in the field. So the three of us came to an agreement. Ana would serve as XO for six months before stepping down and being replaced by Gabriel. She would then take up his former post as the ground commander.”

“Things were going well and the crew adjusted well to the shake up in command. Then...then Camsden happened.”

The name conjured painful memories for Fareeha.

“We had suspected the Alliance was stirring up trouble on several border worlds, but nobody predicted Camsden of all places to become the flash-point. The Corballian sponsored coup nearly succeeded, and left the colony torn in two by civil war. The Commonwealth sent a diplomatic team to try to mediate a cease-fire, and we were its escort. Unfortunately the private guards employed by the diplomats were overrun the second they landed. The diplomats were taken hostage by the rebels, and we were sent in to free them. Ana led the team, but something went wrong. Most of the team were killed, and she went missing. That's when things really fell apart.” 

Morrison sighed heavily at the memory.

“I needed a new XO, and needed one fast to stabilize things. So I made a decision I will regret for the rest of my life. I picked Reinhardt over Gabriel for XO because Ana had only completed three of her six months. At the time I thought Gabriel needed more experience in charge of a large group.”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“When Gabriel got wind of the decision he was furious. We'd been friends since basic, and he saw this as a personal betrayal on my part. We had a massive argument, which ended when he tendered his resignation. I refused to accept it, out of petty anger.” 

“Three days later we answered a distress call put out by a science ship close to the galactic core. When we arrived we found no trace of the ship. That's when things started to go wrong. All of a sudden every warning light went off at once. Trobjorn called the bridge, telling us the reactor was rapidly gaining heat, and nothing he did seemed to stop it. I didn't hesitate and gave the order every captain dreads, abandon ship.”

“Forty-eight officers and crew never made it off before the reactor blew, Gabriel was one of them. The investigation ruled it an act of sabotage and blamed Talon, the same organization behind what happened on Camsden. When rescue team combed the wreckage in the following weeks they found all the bodies but one.”

“Gabriel's?” Fareeha asked. Morrison nodded.

“Two months after the disaster reports began to filter in of attacks targeting former Overwatch crew, only these were no ordinary assassinations. The bodies were grey and crumbly, like husks. It was as if they had the life sucked out of them. Analysis showed their tissues had suffered massive degradation on a cellular level.”

“Just like when my nanites are used to purge dead tissue.”

“Indeed doctor. When Ana disappeared she had several canisters of nanite solution on her, to refill the darts in her support rifle. My guess is Talon was able to recover one or more of those canisters in the chaos. It is likely they attempted to use them to resuscitate what was left of Reyes, turning him into what he is now, essentially walking “grey goo”.”

“But they should not have survived that long. I have safeguards built into them to avoid just this sort of thing, the only way they could have lasted...” Angela fell quiet as the realization dawned on her. 

“Was if they were altered before they left the ship.” Jesse finished for her.

“Who did it?!” Angela was furious now. “Jack tell me who did it. Who altered my technology against my express recommendations?! This is exactly the sort of problem I was trying to avoid, I TOLD you this would happen if you singed that ord-”

“ENOUGH doctor.” Morrison ordered. “What's done is done, nothing can change that.”

The room went dead silent. Angela was fuming, and Fareeha felt helpless to comfort her. They had agreed to keep their relationship somewhat private from the ships senior staff. All she could do was throw a concerned glance Angela's way and hope she saw it.

“How do we know for sure it was Gabriel?” Jesse asked, breaking the icy silence, “He's not the sort of man to turn traitor overnight.”

“If it is my tech, it doesn't matter what he wants.” Angela said stiffly. “Whoever controls the nanites will override what little organic will he might have. He would be a captive of the swarm, driven only by one thought.”

“And that would be?” The captain asked, glaring at her.

“In short, to feed. To provide the raw materials necessary for the nanites to continue self-replicating.”

“That explains why he kept coming back so quickly on Bashir.” Fareeha added. “He was probably feeding off all his dead comrades.” The realization made her queasy on the inside.

“Back to my question.” Jesse said, “How do we know it's Gabriel and not just an impersonator wanting us to think it's Gabriel?”

“Do you remember what happened to Gerard Lacroix?” Morrison asked. Fareeha gave him a puzzled look. 

“My immediate predecessor as captain of the Overwatch.” He explained, “Talon kidnapped his wife Amelie. We searched for her for three weeks before she turned up unharmed. Everything seemed fine until two days later when she killed him in his sleep and disappeared. Weeks later a Talon assassin matching her description begins wrecking havoc on Camsden. She was there the day Ana disappeared too.”

“She wouldn't happen to have blue skin would she?” Fareeha asked.

“She would indeed.”

“Then her aim is not what it used to be, Kip got the best of her and that was without his spotter.”

“Don't act so confident, she'll be back and this time nursing a grudge. The official report for Gerard's death was a heart attack, and all evidence of her was covered up.”

“Why? Why cover it up?” Fareeha inquired.

“Can you imagine what that kind of thing would do to morale? Knowing that while you were on duty somebody could sneak into your house, kidnap your loved ones, subject them to brainwashing and torture, and turn them into a sleeper agent bent of your murder? Hell yes we covered it up.”

“That's not the end of their attempts to take us out.” The captain said. “Lena spoke to you about her accident?” Fareeha nodded. “The post accident analysis showed the warp core of her fighter had been sabotaged. In one stroke they took out the most promising pilot the academy has produced in over forty years.”

“How?”

“A hacker did it. A very good hacker, who had the same signature as the one you made a bargain with on Bashir.”

“We didn't have much choice! It's not li-” The captain held up a placating arm, silencing Fareeha.

“I'm not criticizing your decision. If Talon really is behind this, as the evidence seems to indicate, we all need to be extra careful. The three of you are prime targets, and while right now only Jesse has a price on his head expect that to change in the near future.” He picked up the tablet he had been reading earlier before continuing, “All that I've told you today does not leave this room, understood?”

“Yes sir!” The trio chorused, Angela's reply being rather clipped.

“So what now?” Jesse asked.

“Now, we wait.” The captain replied. “And you dig up whatever you can on Deadlock. Call in all your favors Jesse, any information on their activities could be crucial.”

“Gotcha.” The bounty hunter replied. “I could do with an extra set of hands, there are going to be a lot of calls to make.”

“Lieutenant Satya Vaswani will assist you with this. So will Bastion, the ship's AI.”

“I am happy to be of service.” Said the AI, reminding everyone of its presence. The captain turned to Angela and Fareeha.

“As for the two of you, I've gone through the after action reports from the skirmish on Colmar IV and have come to a conclusion that I think you will both agree on. Lieutenant commander Zeigler and her Valkyrie suit function very well with Helix squad. The synergy is so good I am assigning her to the squad on a permanent basis, effective immediately. Pending your approval of course.”

“I would be honored.” Angela said, her demeanor softening a bit.

“And we would be more than happy to have the doctor join our team.” Fareeha replied, flashing Angela a smile.

“Good, I'm glad. Enjoy your weeks leave. Hopefully we will have a lead on Deadlock by then.”

And with that they were dismissed. They lingered outside the now closed door to the captains quarters for a moment.

“Guess I better head to the bridge, and find out who this “Satya” is.” He tipped the brim of his hat at them. “G'day ladies.” He walked off, whistling a tune as he went. Fareeha turned to Angela.

“You okay?” She asked, pulling the doctor into an embrace. Angela didn't answer for a moment.

“Yeah.” She eventually said, “Just frustrated. I didn't mean to blow up like that.”

“I'm sure it was justified. I've never seen you get angry like that.”

“They used me Fareeha. They used me and manipulated me to get their hands on my tech. Now it seems they reneged on all their promises, and look what's happened. I've created a monster, a monster who almost killed us!”

Fareeha pulled her close, gently rubbing her back. She pushes her back slightly, to look her in the eye.

“Angela look at me.” Fareeha said softly. “I'm here, you are here. We are alive. He didn't get us, and he won't as long as I have anything to say about it.” Fareeha tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind Angela's ear. “Did you actively create him with your own hands?”

“It's not that simple Fareeha, yo-” Fareeha cut her off.

“Did you, Angela Zeigler, actively create him with you own hands?” She asked again, firmer this time.

“No, I suppose not.” Angela finally answered.

“Then I don't see how this is your fault.”

“It's my tech, my invention. I created it to save lives! And now I hear it's being used to suck the life out of god knows how many people!”

“That's an awfully selfish way of looking at things don't you think?” Fareeha asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“You assume that you could have prevented this in some way. That you had the power at one point or another to stop the chain of events.”

“Well yes, If only I had-” Fareeha cut her off again with a finger to the lips.

“Angela do you honestly think they would have just left you alone if you refused to share your tech? They lied to you and broke promises, what makes you think they wouldn't have gotten their hands on it in some other way?”

Angela was silent for a few moments as she mulled over Fareeha's words.

“I...I suppose you are right.” She eventually said, “It doesn't make me feel much better about it, but you are right. They probably would have stolen it if I had refused to share.” She sighed. “Sorry, I'm a bit of a mess right now.”

“No need to apologize.” Fareeha replied warmly. She leaned in and kissed the doctor's brow. “I'm here if you ever need somebody to rant at.”

“Thank you.” Angela said. “I really mean that, thank you so much. I-” Fareeha cut her off for a third time, pulling her into another embrace.

“Shhhh.” She cooed. “You don't have to say anything.”

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the comfort they brought one another. It was Fareeha who eventually ended the moment. She loosened her grip, and motioned her head in the direction of the elevator. Angela fell into step beside her, arm still secured around Fareeha's waist.

“Any plans for the week?” Angela asked. Fareeha looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head.

“Not really. I do need to do some maintenance work on my Raptora suit before I can go anywhere though.” She replied. Angela seemed disappointed by that. 

“Tell you what,” Fareeha continued, “I'll do that real quick and then we can hit the town. I don't know Haven very well but I'm sure we can find plenty of things to do. Sound good?”

“Sounds great!” Angela beamed, “Pick me up at 1800 hours?”

“Sure, med bay or your quarters?”

“Quarters please. That way I can change out of this,” she gestured to the civilian outfit she had been in for almost forty-eight hours now. 

“Good point,” Fareeha said. She sniffed her armpit, grimacing at the results. “I could use a shower too.”

“As much as I love your smell, it's getting a little...gamey.” Angela teased.

Fareeha laughed.

“Merciless,” she winked, “Pun intended.”

Angela punched her arm playfully. Fareeha caught her hand before she could pull it away, and pinned her close. Angela's startled yelp was cut off by Fareeha's lips crashing down on her own. She moaned into the kiss, humming pleasantly when they parted.

“So 1800?” She asked, somewhat short of breath.

“1800.” Fareeha nodded.

 

1635 Hours Local Time,

“How frequently do you get these migraines?” Angela asked, looking at her tablet.

“I'm averaging 3-4 a month.” Delyinn responded.

“And that is a normal amount for you?”

“Yes.”

“Any new triggers? Or just the same ones?”

Angela cycled through a couple of windows on her tablet. She began typing up a prescription.

“I'm renewing your migraine medication prescription. Same dose, let me know if your migraines increase in frequency.” Angela pushed a button and the printer in her office hummed to life. She retrieved the document, signed it, and then handed it to Delyinn. “The pharmacist is on deck three, towards the stern.”

Delyinn nodded on acknowledgement. 

“Any plans for the week doc?” She asked as she stood up.

“Nothing fancy. Fare-I mean Lieutenant Amari and I are going to hit the town later this evening.”

“Nice, anything specific?”

Angela shook her head. Delyinn reached into her pocket and pulled two pieces of paper. She handed them to Angela.

“What are these?” The doctor inquired.

“Rugby tickets. The Canadian women's team are playing the New Zealand Black Ferns. My boyfriend and I were going to go but his squadron's patrol got extended last minute.”

“He's a pilot?”

“Yeah, squadron leader of a Spitfire squadron on the Warspite. They're good seats, my parents have a private box.”

“What do I owe you?” Angela asked, reaching for her wallet. Delyinn waved her off.

“Nothing doc. Take the Lieutenant out and show her a good time. The both of you deserve it.”

Angela was speechless for a moment.

“Thank you.” She finally said. “This means a lot.”

Delyinn shrugged, rubbing her arm in embarrassment.

“I'd hate to see them go to waste. Anyways enjoy the game, and I'll catch you later.”

With that she walked out.

Angela checked the time. Not 1800 yet, but she decided to go see Fareeha to break the good news. She checked the hanger first, thinking she might be there moving equipment around. Instead of finding Fareeha, she found a somewhat agitated Torbjorn, busy working on the Slipstream.

“She left for the armory a few minutes ago.” He told her, “Need something?”

“Just wanted to talk to her.” Torbjorn nodded, and with a grunt he returned to his work.

“Tell her not to mess with my sound system!” He shouted at her departing form. “I just got the settings to where I want them, I don't need her mucking them up!”

Angela just shook her head and walked out.

The armory resided deep in the interior of the ship, well protected. To get there Angela had to pass through a massive set of blast doors that were the only way to access the ship's critical systems. City class cruisers had their critical systems such as the reactor core, engine controls, shield generators and life support protected inside an armored box that ran along the spine of the ship. The armory, and the explosives and weapons stored within, was also inside the fortified redoubt. This arrangement meant the systems were well protected but not easy to access. The closer to the armory doors she got, the more convinced she was that somebody was blasting music from inside. She swiped her ID on the console beside the door, it hissed open and she was immediately buffeted by a wave of sound. She stepped through the opening quickly to spare those in the corridor from the noise. The armory was completely deserted apart from one other person, something Angela attributed to the loud music. The sight before her was...unique.

On one of the tables were the pieces of Fareeha's Raptora suit. Fareeha herself stood beside it, her back to Angela, with her rocket launcher in hand. The current song just ended as Angela had entered the room, and the opening drums of Aerosmith's “Walk this way” sounded over the speakers. When the guitar kicked in Fareeha began to strum her rocket launcher like a guitar as if she was playing the song herself. The first verse started, and Fareeha began to strut around the armory, lip-syncing the lyrics and playing her 'guitar'. Angela had to bite back laughter, and began to creep up on the unsuspecting lieutenant. She knew the song herself, and couldn't help but lip-sync along herself. Angela waited until the line “Just give me a kiss” before making her move. She grabbed Fareeha's waist, spinning the soldier around and planting a kiss on her lips. Before Fareeha could react, Angela removed the rocket launcher from the dazed soldier's hand and used it to mime out the rest of the guitar solo. Fareeha stood there, wide eyed and blushing furiously. Angela mouthed the line “Like this” and made a come hither motion with her index finger. Fareeha got the hint, grabbing an armored gauntlet off the table to use as a microphone, just in time for the second verse.

They powered through it, Angela headbanging as she shredded out riffs on the launcher. The fourth verse went much the same as the third. When the second chorus came around they both sang it. As the final line, “Just give me a kiss”, left Angela's lips Fareeha paid her back. She darted in and kissed Angela on the lips, slipping away before Angela could grab her. The two spent the rest of the song shredding their hearts out on their chose instruments. When the song ended, Fareeha pulled a remote out of her pocket and turned off the stereo. They stood there, panting and watching one another, mutual embarrassment rendering heavy blushes on each face.

“I didn't know you liked Aerosmith.” Fareeha said, placing her gauntlet back on the table. Angela twirled the rocket launcher before replying.

“I was rather adventurous as a teenager. I went through just about every phase possible.”

“I have a hard time imagining that.” Fareeha teased.

“I still have a concert t-shirt from the AC-DC holo tour somewhere in my foot locker.”

Fareeha's eyes lit up.

“What year?!” She asked excitedly.

“2525 I think.”

“Me too!” Fareeha sounded like a giddy child now.

“What show did you see them at?” Angela asked.

“Alexandria, they had floating stage in the middle of the harbor.”

“I saw them in Zurich,” Angela replied, “No floating stage but the fireworks were the best I've ever seen.”

“That was such a good tour, and my first holo-concert.” Fareeha smiled at the memory. “So what did you need to see me for?”

Angela retrieved the tickets from her pocket and held them out for Fareeha to inspect.

“Courtesy of Delyinn.” She said when Fareeha inquired as to their origin. “Her boyfriend had something come up so they had to bail.”

“I've been to NovaCorp stadium before, these seats are swanky.”

“Makes sense if her parents are diplomats.” Angela replied, “You need to do much more? If we catch a cab in the next twenty minutes we should make it on time.”

Fareeha looked back at her suit, that parts strewn all over the workstation.

“Fuck it, that can wait. Let me shower real quick and we can go.”

 

The seats turned out to be more than just 'swanky'. The private box was high above the field, offering an excellent view of the game as it unfolded. They found the bar fully stocked, and a quick phone-call to Delyinn confirmed they were okay to crack it open. When halftime rolled around Angela and Fareeha had a good buzz going. They had paid little attention to the game, and instead talked about a whole myriad of topics. Angela recalled her university days, while Fareeha talked of her previous postings. They sat on one of the leather couches, Fareeha with an arm draped over Angela's shoulder and a beer in her other hand. Angela had opened a bottle of wine, a glass of which rested in one hand. She had cuddled up to Fareeha, and tucked her feet up off the ground. Every so often their was a lull in the conversation which always resulted in a kiss, some longer than others. They largely kept their hands to themselves, this box did belong to somebody else after all.

The second half was the as the first, more talk and more kisses. Had they been paying watching they might have seen plucky Canada fightback and almost steal the game from New Zealand, only to be held just short. But they didn't, their only focus was each other. By the time the final buzzer sounded Angela was buried in Fareeha's neck, all decency, and drinks, forgotten. Fareeha moaned as Angela's teeth nipped and tugged, her hands grasped at the air, desperate for something to hold onto.

“A-Angela please,” she gasped out, “This isn't fa-” Angela's teeth struck again, causing Fareeha to inhale sharply.

“Dinner first,” Fareeha managed to get out, “Dessert later.”

“Very well.” Angela acquiesced, “We will continue this discussion later.”

She reluctantly stood up, instantly missing Fareeha's warmth. Fareeha followed suit. She made an effort to deal with the empties, making sure to put them in the recycling bin. She then draped her leather jacket over one shoulder and donned her sunglasses. She extended a hand to Angela, who took it graciously.

“Did you have any place in mind?” Angela asked as they entered the elevator. Fareeha shook her head.

“I was thinking we could walk the strip and see what our options are.” She replied with a smile.

“Sounds like a plan.”

And with that they left the stadium. The couple picked their way through the crowd, moving away from the massive steel structure. The further away they got, the quieter the streets until things settled into a normal level of pedestrian traffic. Only then did they begin to look for a place to eat. They ended up choosing a cozy looking pub on a street corner, several blocks from the stadium. It was relatively quiet, and they managed to secure a booth that offered a degree of privacy from the rest of the establishment. This was soon put to good use as a group of marines entered the pub, and Fareeha recognized them as being part of the Calgary's compliment. They popped off quick salutes in their direction once they had been spotted, and Fareeha excused herself for a moment. She went up to the group and bought them a round, in exchange for the group leaving the two officers alone for the rest of the evening. The marines happily agreed, and Fareeha and Angela were able to enjoy their evening free of interference.

It was a good meal, pub food that left one with a warm and full belly, but the signals Angela was sending under the table implied there was more in store. When they finished their meal the conversation continued, as they nursed their drinks. Under the table legs and hands intertwined, subtle touches and caresses sending shivers up the spines of both parties. During a brief lull in the conversation Fareeha watched, eyes transfixed, as Angela idly stirred her drink. She leaned in and sipped through her straw, licking her lips when finished. Fareeha felt a drop of sweat roll down the back of her neck. Every drop of condensation on Angela's glass seemed crystal clear in that moment, and her mouth felt parched all of a sudden. Angela seemed to feel the force of Fareeha's gaze. She blushed, before looking her partner in they eye and winking.

“Something on your mind?” She asked coyly. Now it was Fareeha's turn to blush.

“Well..” she paused, gathering her thoughts, “Just mesmerized by your beauty.”

“You're such charmer.” Angela replied, her blush intensifying.

“I mean it.” Fareeha said, suddenly getting serious, “I don't think I've every told you just how beautiful you are. It's radiant, like an aura. It can be very distracting,” she smiled warmly at the doctor across the table, “In a good way.

“You are going to give me a big head with all these compliments.” Angela replied, somewhat bashful.

“Just means it will be easier to see your beautiful face.” Fareeha replied, not missing a beat. Angela snickered.

“That was cheesy, even for you.” The shit-eating grin Fareeha threw her way indicated she knew just how cheesy it was.

“You're not so bad looking yourself. You take care of your body, and take pride in your fitness.” Angela told her. “And the results are very nice to look at.”

Fareeha flexed a bicep and waggled her eyebrows.

“They're not just for show you know,” Fareeha boasted, “That are quite impressive in action.”

“Oh I don't doubt it.” Angela replied, “In fact I think I have an idea for a field test.”

“Oh?” Fareeha raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “And just what did you have in mind?”

Over the past few weeks Angela noticed that alcohol seemed to enhance rather than hinder Fareeha's speech. The way words seemed to flow so effortlessly off her tongue was exciting to the doctor, especially since drinking had the opposite effect on her own speech.

“I want to see that body in action.” The words slipped out before Angela could stop them. She placed a hand over her mouth and nervously met Fareeha's gaze. To her immense relief the soldier didn't seem to mind, in fact Angela swore she could see a mischievous sparkle behind the brown orbs staring back at her.

“As long as yours is right beside me.” The lieutenant shot back. The challenge had been accepted, and the thought sent fire coursing through Angela's veins.

“You. Me. Dance-floor.” Was all the doctor said.

Fareeha smirked.

“You're on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooooooooooooooooo update! This was a lot of fun to write, evenif it took longer than I expected. The 'grey goo' I refer too is a scifi concept involving a swarm of microscopic robots that consume all in there path to create more of their kind. Eventually the swarm gets so large it looks like a pile of grey goo advancing across the landscape, kinda scary right? I'm a sucker for naval history so that's why the flagship is named Warspite, a storied name in the Royal Navy. I'm also a massive rugby nut, I played in high school and now I coach at the same level so it was nice to throw that in there, even though there was no play by play. And yes I am implying that New Zealand is still the #1 ranked nation, 500 years into the future hahaha. As for the holo-concerts, I imagine so enterprising businessman was like "What if we remade bands into holograms and had them preform all their old hits onstage, even though they have been dead for hundreds of years.", I know I'd buy a ticket. Anyways hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


	13. Foreplay/Longtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update WOO WOO.
> 
> Warning: The following chapter contains sexual content. Like at least half of it. Just a heads up.

Fareeha paid the bill in record time. Angela's attempts to offer to split it were waved off.

“You got the last one.” Was Fareeha's answer.

“That hardly counts, we never actually ate anything.”

“But we ended up getting shot at. I'd like to stay as 'Pharah'-way from that kind of experience tonight.”

Angela found it impossible to argue while she was giggling, so a triumphant Fareeha flagged down their server and paid. While her credit chit was being processed the couple inquired about nearby night clubs. It turned out there were several nearby, all along the same block. They thanked their server and got up to leave. As they did Angela slid closer to Fareeha, as if she wanted a quick kiss. Fareeha leaned in and closed her eyes, only to open them moments later in confusion when no kiss came. Instead she was greeted with the sight of Angela's face mere inches away. Angela bit down on her lip, before darting in and pecking Fareeha on the nose. She darted away with a giggle, escaping to safety out of the reach of Fareeha's grasp. The poor soldier was left flustered and confused as to what just happened. The doctor took pity on her partner, beckoning her over and kissing her properly as an apology.

They stepped out onto the street, taking in the warm evening. Haven was a standard terrestrial planet, very similar to Earth. Most of the initial settlements had been concentrated near the equator, and consequently they were the most developed today. The tropical conditions played a large part in why so many had initially flocked to the colony. It meant Angela was more than comfortable in her black form fitting dress which stopped mid-thigh, giving Fareeha an enticing view of the doctor's perfect (Fareeha's words) legs. It also meant Fareeha was so warm in her suit that she took off her jacket and draped it over her shoulder. Angela's heels clacked on the pavement as they walked arm in arm up the street. As luck would have it the clubs mentioned by the waitress were all along the same block. They slowed their pace and inspected the exterior of each one.

The first club they past was lined up out the door. Angela noticed the crowd was young, mostly nineteen to twenty-one in age. They even spotted Hana and Lucio. That revelation definitely ruled the club out, they wanted to have fun but not that much fun. The next club on the block was also a no-go. There was a steep cover charge, and limo after limo pulled up to disgorge the ritziest looking clientele Fareeha had seen in a long time. The third one was a no-go as well, a party bus had just disgorged a wedding party of very drunk Anthanebians which meant a fight was just moments away. They hurried into the fourth club, mostly to get off the street before things got interesting. It turned out to be a good choice. The walls of the club were covered in old vinyl records, and the dance floor was made up of illuminated panels.

“Tacky, but in a good way.” Angela commented once Fareeha had checked her coat.

“Hopefully the music will match.” Fareeha replied.

It did, sort of. A mixture of pieces ranging from 20th century classics to contemporary modern chart toppers, backed by a pulsing beat, blasted from the speakers.

“So...” Angela looked at Fareeha with mischievous eyes, “Shots?”

“What are we, twenty?” Fareeha joked. Angela narrowed her eyes. “Okay okay shots it is.”

They made their way over to the bar. It was already busy so the had to wait for a moment before Angela could order.

“Think of it as an efficient way to get tipsy again.” Angela said when they arrived, “I don't dance sober, and the equivalent in proper drinks would have me spend more time in the bathroom than on the dance floor.”

"I suppose that's a fair point.” Fareeha replied as they made their was over to a nearby table, “I still don't like them.”

“Bad experiences?”

Fareeha nodded as they sat down on the stools, placing the glasses carefully on the table.

“Last time I had one was the end of my three month probation period on the Anubis. I don't remember much of the night, but I woke up in a kangaroo onsie in engineering. It took a year before Tariq stopped calling me 'Roo'.”

Angela laughed.

“I'll have to remember that.”

Eager to change the subject, Fareeha inspected the shots before her.

“So, what are these?” she asked.

“This,” Angela pointed to the first glass, “Is tequila. This,” she pointed to the second glass, “Is also tequila. This,” she pointed to the final glass, “Is a B-52.”

“A what?”

“A B-52. Equal parts Kahlua, Baileys and Grand Marnier. I save it for last to get rid of the taste of the tequila.” Fareeha gave her a look. “It sounds weird but trust me, they are delicious.”

“So how do you want to do this?” Fareeha held up a lime wedge. “And what is this for?”

“Have you never done tequila shots before?”

“I have, just never with lime.”

“How? The aftertaste is horrible without lime!”

Fareeha shrugged.

“By the time I'm doing shooters I've already drunk enough not to care about taste.”

“Fair point. A proper tequila shot involves salt as well but that's a little too messy for me.” Angela held up a lime wedge. “Just suck or bite down on it after the shot.”

“Gotcha.” Fareeha replied. She held her first glass. “To us?”

“To us.” Angela agreed. The clinked glasses, and then tapped the bottoms on the table. Fareeha brought the glass to her mouth, the smell of alcohol making her grimace, before throwing her head back and downing the shot. The liquid burned its way down her throat, and she coughed before remembering Angela's instructions and biting down on the lime wedge. The burst of citrus did indeed mellow the bite of the alcohol. Her gaze returned to Angela, who was placing her half eaten lime wedge back on the table. Angela blinked a few times, to keep her eyes from watering.

“Not the best tequila I'm afraid.” She said after a moment, and they shared a laugh.

“Round two?” Fareeha asked.

“Bottoms up!” Angela replied. As before they clinked glasses, rapped the bottoms on the table and downed their respective shots. This time, instead of taking a bite of lime, Fareeha leaned across the table and kissed Angela just as she took her own wedge out. Her lips tasted of citrus and alcohol, and Fareeha found it intoxicating. Or maybe that was the tequila talking, she couldn't decide. She lingered on Angela's lips for a moment, the contact broken only when Angela turned to wipe the lime juice dribbling down her chin.

“Much better than the lime.” She quipped

The doctor took a deep breath.

“Everything okay?” Fareeha asked, concerned.

“Yeah,” Angela replied, “I'm just remembering how much of a lightweight I am.”

She straightened up a moment later.

“Okay, round three.” She fixed Fareeha with a look. “This time warn me if you intend on using me as a chaser, this stuff stains.”

Fareeha smirked in response.

“No promises!” She said with a cheeky grin.

“This one will taste much better, I promise.” Angela raised her glass. “Cheers!”

The B-52 was delicious, sweet and creamy, with no alcohol after-taste. She waited until Angela had placed her glass on the table this time before kissing her. She tasted sweet, the hint of coffee liquor lingering on Fareeha's lips when they pulled apart.

“So, dance floor?” Fareeha asked.

“Time to show me what you got.” Angela replied. She extended a hand, which Fareeha took, and led her over to the dance floor. It was still fairly empty, so they staked a claim on a space just below the DJ booth. Things were a little awkward at first, as they adjusted to the rhythm of each other. Fareeha preferred to use her arms and legs, while Angela kept most of her motions confined to her hips. Gradually they loosened up, the alcohol playing no small part, and they began to tune out the curious glances thrown their way by the other patrons.

“We're that couple, aren't we?” Fareeha asked.

Instead of replying Angela reached out and pulled Fareeha close. Fareeha's hands instinctively moved to Angela's waist, subtly guiding her hips as they gyrated against Fareeha's. Angela closed the distance and gave Fareeha a sloppy kiss, her teeth lingering on the soldier's bottom lip.

“Now we're that couple.” Angela whispered huskily. Fareeha smiled hungrily back, and pulled her in for another kiss. By now the dance floor had filled up around them. No longer the center of attention, things between the couple began to heat up. They remained face to face but there was little to no space between their bodies. Their movements slowed and were often punctuated by kisses. Feeling rather bold, Fareeha raked her nails down Angela's sides. The sensation made Angela throw her head back, face to the sky in a soundless moan. This sent a jolt of arousal through Fareeha. Angela's retaliation was swift. She shoved Fareeha against the wall, planting a leg in between her thighs. Fareeha couldn't stop her hips from bucking, causing her to grind the length of Angela's thigh. The doctor grinned wickedly.

“My my,” she whispered into Fareeha's ear, “What an interesting reaction.”

Angela slid a hand in between Fareeha's legs, careful to make sure it was concealed from the roving eyes of security. She began to slide her hand up and down the fabric. Fareeha's hips bucked again, the sensation wracking her frame as she writhed under Angela's touch. She had to do something, anything, to regain control. Her hands found Angela's waist and with some effort she spun the doctor around, her ass landing squarely in between Fareeha's legs. She kissed the doctors neck, causing her back to arch.

“Show me what you've got.” She whispered into Angela's ear. And what a show it was. The next hour was on of the most sensual and frustrating experiences of Fareeha's life. Their bodies never broke contact, hips locked in a gyrating duel. Their lips found one another frequently as well. Soon the couple's skin was covered in a sheen of sweat, and the top two buttons of Fareeha's shirt were undone at some point. They teased one another to no end, subtle touches and slight caresses giving way to more sensual and direct motions. Fareeha's parched throat finally ended their revelry.

“Water.” She croaked into Angela's ear. The doctor nodded and led her from the dance floor back to the bar. Two refreshingly cold glasses of water later and Fareeha regained her voice.

“You've got moves Zeigler, I concede defeat.”

“You're pretty good yourself.” Angela replied, “But there is one more thing I would ask of you.”

“Sure, what's up?”

Angela bit her lip, before extending a hand.

“Take me home?”

Fareeha froze, the implications of such a request very vivid in her mind.

“If you are not comfortable or it seems rushed I understand,” Angela said, back-peddling.

“No.” Fareeha said. “I want this, I want you.” She leaned in and kissed Angela, her lips soft and gentle. She brushed some stray locks of Angela's hair out of the doctor's face.

“To answer your question, yes. Yes I will take you home.” An idea was forming in her mind. Cheesy, but the right kind of cheesy.

“Wait here for a sec.” She said, “I'll be right back.”

Angela watched her head in the direction of the DJ booth, but she soon lost track of Fareeha in the crowd. In her absence Angela mulled over her decision. Was it too fast? Should they take this step? Were they ready? After all they had only been “dating” for seventeen (standard) days. Words of wisdom came to her mind at that moment, the irony of the source leaving Angela chuckling to herself. Having walked in on Ana and Reinhardt and chastised their unprofessional behavior, in truth mostly because it was before Reinhardt's physical and it was hard to tell what was a battle scar or an Ana scar, the elder Amari had pulled her aside.

“Life is short.” Ana had told her, “And in this profession it tends to be even shorter. If you ever have the good fortune of meeting someone who makes you happy, don't hesitate. Seize that moment, because you never know what the future has in store for the both of you.”

She had conceded the point at the time, but not with much thought. It was only now that she fully realized what Ana had meant. Fareeha did make her happy, very happy, and the fragility of their existence had been made very apparent over the past two weeks. She could indeed lose Fareeha tomorrow. So yes, she decided, she was making the right decision. Fareeha returned a moment later, out of breath and clutching her right hand.

“We should go.” She said. Angela stood up quickly.

“What happened?” Angela noticed blood on her knuckles. “Wha-”

“Later, once we get outside.” Fareeha interrupted. They made their way to the door, taking only a moment to retrieve their belongings from coat check. Once outside Fareeha hailed a cab with her uninjured hand, it was still early so there was no line. After giving the driver their destination Fareeha rolled up the privacy screen so the couple could talk unobserved.

“What happened?” Angela asked again as she examined Fareeha's hand. Although covered in blood and bruising already, it was quickly apparent the blood was not Fareeha's and her hand had sustained no lasting damage.

“Well I was trying to get to the DJ to request a slower song, so we could have one last dance before leaving.”

“That's very sweet of you.” Angela said, running a finger along Fareeha's cheek. The soldier blushed and continued her story.

“Some asshole grabbed my ass while I was waiting my turn, so I turned around and decked him. Knocked him flat on his ass and shattered his nose.”

“Did security see you?”

“Yeah, that's why we had to leave. The bouncer who saw the whole thing complimented me on my technique but said I needed to leave as the guy on the floor had friends who might come looking for trouble.”

Angela squeezed her uninjured hand.

“I'm glad you are okay.” She pulled Fareeha close, and they sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the trip. Once they arrived back at the ship Angela practically dragged Fareeha to the med bay.

“Angela I swear I'm fine.” Fareeha protested. “It doesn't even hurt anymore.”

It was no use, the doctor was on a mission. Once inside her office she gave the hand a proper examination. There were bruises forming on the knuckles, and now that she had good lighting Angela examined them in detail.

“You're lucky it isn't broken.” Angela told her when she had finished. She retrieved a small jar from her desk. Fareeha raised an eyebrow.

“Nano-cream.” Angela explained. “Essentially the same stuff my staff emits but in cream form. I specially designed it to deal with swelling, like the bruises on your hand.”

The doctor dabbed a small amount of the golden substance onto the injured hand. She gently massaged it, spreading the cream over the bruises.

“You might feel a slight tingling for a moment as it goes to work.” She said when she had finished. There was indeed a slight tingling, and Fareeha watched with astonished eyes as the swelling faded and her skin returned to it's normal color. She flexed her hand experimentally, and found the pain was gone.

“Thanks.” She said. “Sorry we had to cut the evening short.”

“Who says it's over?” Angela said coyly, “I'm still not home yet.”

Fareeha took her hand.

“Let's fix that then, Juno won't mind?”

“She's with Reinhardt visiting her sister, and won't be back until morning.”

They left the med bay, and headed towards their quarters. Angela had removed her shoes, the padding of bare feet replaced the click clack of heels. The corridors were completely empty, most of the crew were off ship enjoying the night. They soon reached the shared corridor between their respective quarters. The couple stood there for a moment, unsure of how to begin. Angela was the one to finally take the initiative. She closed the distance, standing on her toes to kiss Fareeha on the lips. It was soft and gentle, a far cry from the lustful tonsil hockey of the night club. Fareeha kissed her back, pulling her body close. 

Angela melted into her embrace, her hands wrapping around Fareeha's waist causing her to drop her shoes. Angela took a step back towards her room. Step by step, inch by inch, they worked their way to Angela's door. Angela was pushed against the cold steel of the wall, and her back arched to escape the frigid metal. Fareeha took immediate advantage, moving her lips to Angela's neck. Gasps and breathy moans poured out of the doctor's mouth as Fareeha's lips went to work. She trailed a hand along Angela's side to her thigh, which the doctor hitched around Fareeha's waist. The other leg followed suit, and Fareeha pinned her to the wall using her hips. The pressure coaxed a moan from both their mouths. Angela flailed one of her arms in an attempt to find the console that opened the door to her room. The sound of her hand slapping the cold steel echoed down the hall. So preoccupied with one another, they failed to notice they had company. Fareeha jolted upright as somebody pinched her kidneys, causing her to almost drop Angela. Blushing furiously she turned to find her assailant was none other than Lena, who bore a shit eating grin.

“Having fun?” She asked cheekily.

“Yes actually, I'm rather enjoying myself.” Fareeha replied, making a shooing motion with one of her hands, “Now if you don't mind, Angela and I have important matters to discuss.”

“Oh I don't doubt it,” Lena replied, her grin growing larger, “I didn't realize you preferred red undergarments Angela.”

“You little shit!” Angela made to lunge at her but Lena was already sprinting down the hallway, cackling. Angela adjusted her dress as Fareeha lowered her to her feet.

“I suppose we deserved that.” Fareeha said.

“Well since the whole ship is bound to to know in the next hour, why don't we get a head start on the rumor mill?”

That brought a sparkle to Fareeha's eyes.

“After you then.” She said, gesturing to the door. Angela keyed the console and the door opened with a soft hiss. She smiled suddenly, and a small giggle escaped her lips.

“What?” A bewildered Fareeha asked.

“I think you are starting to rub off on me.”

“In a good way I hope...?” Fareeha still looked confused.

“Seeing you there, looking so good in that suit, I was reminded of a line I heard in a bar one time.”

“Oh?” Fareeha raised an eyebrow.

“Nice suit, it would look better on my floor.”

She left Fareeha standing there gaping, and walked into her room. Fortunately the soldier recovered quickly. 

“Did it hurt?” Now it was Angela's turn to raise an eyebrow.

“What?”

“When you fell from heaven.”

“Har har, it's funny because I have an angel suit.”

Fareeha wasn't finished.

“Hey,” she said, pointing to Angela's feet, “Your shoe is untied.”

“Fareeha I'm not wear-”

“I don't want you falling for anyone else.”

“Okay I concede defeat.”

Fareeha began to walk towards the door.

“Which is easier? Getting into that dress, or getting you out of it?”

Angela bit her tongue, desperately trying not to smile. Fareeha was on the threshold of the room now.

“Are you a magician? Because when I look at you everyone else disappears.”

She was now face to face with Angela. She reached out and tugged the shoulder strap of the doctor's dress.

“Know what this is made of?” She whispered, inches from Angela's face. Angela shook her head ever so slightly. “Girlfriend material.”

Angela pushed a button on the console and the door hissed shut behind them. They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. Angela made the first move. Her lips crashed down on Fareeha's, and she shoved the soldier against the wall. Her hands went to work, relieving Fareeha of her jacket. Taking the hint Fareeha began to fumble with the remaining buttons on her shirt, although Angela's activities made the process difficult. She kissed Fareeha's neck and her hands slipped down to the soldiers rear, which she began to squeeze. When Fareeha finally undid the final button Angela dived in. Her lips roved Fareeha's chest, teasing skin under the black sports bra. One of Angela's hands tugged at the waist of Fareeha's pants in an attempt to locate her fly. She gave up, and slipped the hand inside without undoing it, and began to rub Fareeha through the fabric of her underwear. Fareeha moaned in response. One of her hands grasped at the wall for balance, the other locked itself firmly onto Angela's rear. Angela increased the pressure, and began to twirl her hand in circles.

“Fuck.” Was all Fareeha could gasp out before another moan left her mouth. Angela abandoned her work on Fareeha's chest, moving her head up so she could whisper in Fareeha's ear. Her fingers slid underneath Fareeha's boyshorts and continued their circles, albeit rather small ones due to Fareeha's fly still being up.

“You like that?” She cooed, her voice dripping with lust.

“Yes.” Fareeha whimpered. She cursed, this time in Arabic, as Angela dragged a finger over her clit. By now Angela's dress had ridden up past her waist, mostly due to Fareeha's hand, and Fareeha's groping pushed Angela to ride Fareeha's thigh. Sensing her opportunity, Fareeha took her hand off the wall and used it to guide Angela so that their legs bisected one another. They began to grind on one another, each movement serving to escalate the desire building inside their bodies. They exchanged a passionate kiss as their tempo increased. Fareeha whispered Angela's name into her ear, her breathy tone sending shivers down the doctors spine. She whispered it again and Angela shuddered, giving her goosebumps. Suddenly Angela froze. Fareeha stopped, confused,

“Everything okay?” She asked, genuinely worried. Angela, somewhat flustered, responded.

“I just remembered I left my shoes in the hall.”

Fareeha gave her a look.

“What?! They were expensive!” Angela untangled herself from Fareeha and opened the door. Sure enough, her shoes were lying right where she had dropped them earlier. Double checking that the coast was clear, she scampered out and retrieved them before sprinting back inside her room. She closed her door, and tossed the shoes into her open foot locker.

“Sorry.” She apologized, “I'm a little scatterbrained, and I've learned that it's best to act on things right away or I will forget them.”

Fareeha took off her already unbuttoned shirt.

“No need to apologize for being you.” She said warmly. She walked over to Angela and took hold of her hands. “After all, I fell for you, not someone else.”

“I did kind of kill the mood though.”

“Then let's revive it.” Fareeha noticed Angela was fixated on her abs. She took one of Angela's hands and ran it over the hardened muscle. “That helping?”

“Yes!” Angela squeaked out. “May I?”

“Of course.”

Angela got down on her knees, tracing the contours of the well defined muscles.

“God you are ripped.” She said.

“Why thank you.” Fareeha replied with amusement. Angela pressed a kiss just below Fareeha's navel. Her lips ghosted over the skin, working their way down to the waistline of Fareeha's pants. Her hands fiddled with the fly, and Fareeha hummed pleasantly as Angela undid the zipper. One of hands of her hands began to play with Angela's hair. Angela slid the pants down Fareeha's legs, exposing the black boy-shorts Fareeha was so find of. Fareeha removed her dress shoes and socks with Angela's help, before stepping out of her pants and leaving them in a crumpled pile on the floor. Her bra followed suit seconds later, joining the rest of her discarded attire. Angela's gaze roamed her naked body, drinking in the exceptional physical specimen in front of her. Fareeha blushed under the force of her gaze, then Angela made eye contact.

“You are so beautiful.” Angela said tenderly. She took one of Fareeha's hands and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. Fareeha felt a surge of emotion, and stroked Angela's cheek with her thumb.

“Thank you ya amar.” Fareeha replied with moist eyes, “I'm all yours.”

Angela's reply was to kiss Fareeha's thigh. She worked her way inwards, eliciting soft gasps of approval from the soldier. She slid her tongue over Fareeha's entrance, causing the other woman to take a stuttered breath. Angela smiled at the reaction to her touch, and she darted her tongue inside. She explored Fareeha's entrance, savoring the taste of her lover. Fareeha's hands sought Angela's head where she ran them through her hair. She cried out as Angela increased the tempo, her tongue probing deeper and deeper, causing Fareeha to stand on her toes. The soldier soon lost her balance, and collapsed into a giggling heap on the bed. Angela stood up and followed.

“You have me at a disadvantage here.” Fareeha told her, gesturing to her own naked body.

“Well I better do something about that.” Angela replied. Kneeling on the bed, she turned around and gestured to the zipper on the back of her dress, “A hand please and thank you.”

Fareeha obliged, getting up and crawling over. She kissed Angela's neck, while slowly undoing the zipper with one hand. The other hand explored Angela's body. Her breasts, her waist, and her groin all felt Fareeha's gentle touch as the dress slipped lower and lower. Angela hummed.

“That feels nice.” She said, arching her back. She adjusted herself so she could slip the dress off her legs, before shimmying out of her panties seconds later. The moment she did, Fareeha went to work on her bra. Once it was off Fareeha pressed herself against Angela's back. Her nipples, already hard from Angela's touch, pressed into the doctor's shoulders. One hand went to Angela's groin, the other fondled her breasts. Her fingers found Angela's clit, and began to trace slow circles around the nob of flesh. Angela's breathing quickened and she leaned her head back. Fareeha increased the pressure, and Angela's hips began to move. Fareeha mirrored her movements, grinding against her as their hips gyrated. Angela began to say Fareeha's name, just a whisper at first, in between her moans. Each time she said it her voice became louder and more desperate, spurring Fareeha on. 

She slid a finger inside Angela, eliciting a surprised yelp of pleasure from the doctor. It was swiftly followed by a second. She began to thrust them in an out, and Angela's hips began to buck in rhythm. She whispered words of encouragement in Fareeha's ears, words that would make even the crudest soldier blush, urging her to increase the pace. Angela cried out after a moment, her head rolling back and forth. Their bodies moved in time, and were soon covered in a sheen of sweat. Angela could feel the knot building in her chest, begging her for release.

“Please Fareeha,” she whimpered, “Just like that. It-AH-right there!”

Fareeha found a particularly sensitive spot, and she made sure to exploit it. Angela's breathing was ragged, and her voice was oozed with need as she rode Fareeha's fingers. The knot in her chest was nearing its breaking point, and she increased her pace yet again. One of her hands gripped the back of Fareeha's head, firmly locked on her hair. The other took hold of the hand on her chest, and she squeezed it as the knot neared bursting point. Sensing she was close, Fareeha whispered into her ear.

“Cum for me Angela,” she cooed, “You're so wet and so close.”

Fareeha kept whispering to her, and it seemed to work as moments later Angela climaxed. She clenched around Fareeha's fingers as her back arched. She cried out, an incoherent stream of words including Fareeha's name and curses in both German and English. Her whole body shook as the orgasm coursed through her from head to toe. Her skin tingled one last time and her breathing began to slow. She leaned back into Fareeha's embrace, turned and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.

“Thank you schatz, that was...amazing.” 

Fareeha smiled, humming happily in response. She leaned in and kissed Angela again. When they parted she spoke.

“Next time I want to do it face to face, seeing you so turned on is exhilarating.”

“I'm glad you enjoyed the show as much as I did.” Angela turned around, “Now it's your turn.”

She gave Fareeha a gentle push, and the soldier collapsed onto her back. Angela made to crawl over, but Fareeha backed up to the wall. She stuffed Angela's pillow behind her and reclined back onto it.

“I like being able to watch.” She explained to a somewhat confuse Angela.

“I'll remember that,” Angela replied. “Do you need anything for your hands?”

“No but don't be surprised if they end up in your hair.”

“Ah.” Angela reached over Fareeha to the small bedside table and retrieved a hair tie. With well practiced hands she pulled her hair back and put it into her trademark ponytail.

“Otherwise it gets in the way, and it's easier to grab.” She said with a smile. "And tugging it is encouraged."

“So accommodating, you spoil me.” Fareeha teased.

“You are worth it.”

Fareeha looked at her with tender eyes, memorizing the moment.

“You really are as beautiful as an angel.” She said. “I don't think I say that enough.”

Angela blushed, and squeezed the soldiers knee in appreciation. She got on all fours and crawled over to Fareeha, careful not to touch her.

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

Angela lowered down and kissed her, pulling back before Fareeha could reply. Fareeha got the message, let Angela do the work. Angela came in again, kissing her more passionately this time. She lingered on Fareeha's bottom lip, tugging it with her teeth. She then moved on to the soldiers neck, trailing kisses and the occasional nibble as she went. Her hands roamed Fareeha's body, tracing the contours and lines of her muscles. Her fingers ghosted over the skin, causing shivers to run down Fareeha's spine. Angela kissed her way along the collar bone, working her way to Fareeha's breasts. She toyed with one of the nipples, flicking it with her tongue before repeating the process with the other one. Her efforts elicited gasps of pleasure form Fareeha. Her hands wandered, roving the bed as she began to writhe under Angela's touch. Leaving the breasts behind Angela kissed her way down past Fareeha's navel. Here her pace slowed, and she began to tease the poor soldier. She would slowly work her way down towards the groin from one direction, only to suddenly switch thighs and start over. Her teasing resulted in a frustrated whine of indignation from Fareeha, which made Angela laugh. She made eye contact with her partner and winked.

"Good things come to those who wait.” Fareeha harrumphed in response, but she made an effort to relax as Angela resumed her work.

Her tongue wormed its way to Fareeha's clit. She twirled it around, causing Fareeha to shudder at the sensations travelling through her body. Angela probed Fareeha's entrance with two fingers, lingering just outside. She looked up at Fareeha and gave her a smile. Fareeha brushed the bangs out of Angela's eyes and stroked her cheek. Angela turned her head and took Fareeha's thumb in her mouth, twirling around the digit with her tongue. Then she entered Fareeha. A soft moan escaped the soldiers lips, and Angela built up a steady rhythm. Fareeha took hold of Angela's ponytail with one of her hands, guiding her head back down. Her mouth resumed it's work on Fareeha's clit, drinking up every inch. The sensations coursing through Fareeha's body were intoxicating, and her moans grew steadily louder.

She pleaded with Angela to increase the pace, but all she got in response was an impish grin. A third finger slid in to join the other two, causing her hips to buck. Angela finally increased the pace, and she soon had Fareeha writhing on the bed in sensual ecstasy. A string of Arabic flew from Fareeha's mouth. Angela didn't understand the words but she understood the meaning, don't fucking stop. Fareeha's hips began to rise to meet each thrust, and her moans became ragged and breathy. Angela knew her partner was close.

Fareeha's grip on her ponytail tightened as her other hand clawed frantically at the sheets, crumpling them up into a pile. The knot in her chest was close to bursting, and Angela knew what to do to send her over the edge. She leaned in, making sure to keep eye contact, and ran her tongue up Fareeha's lips to her clit. As her thrusting reached a fever pitch she flicked the nob with her tongue. The action sent a shock-wave through Fareeha's body. She shook as the orgasm took over, squeezing Angela's head between her thighs. She cried out incoherently as her spine jerked her halfway upright and back down again. She lay there, panting and completely spent. Angela pulled her fingers out and made a show of licking her them clean, before sidling up to Fareeha and spooning her.

“That was amazing.” Fareeha said once she had regained her breath. She made to kiss Angela but the doctor hesitated.

“You don't mind? Even though I haven't washed my mouth?” She asked.

“Of course not!” Fareeha answered, and pulled her in for a kiss, making sure to part her lips and deepen it. “Why would that be a problem.”

“It's a deal-breaker for some.” Angela explained. “I had a bad experience with a guy once. Gave him head, and I didn't swallow. Wiped my face with a wet-nap and he refused to kiss me. Didn't even consider it until I had washed my mouth out completely, and even then it was the most chaste little peck.”

“Seems like a 'dick' move.” Fareeha waggled her eyebrows. Angela groaned.

“And after I gave you such a good time.” She buried her face into Fareeha's neck. “He was an ass, cheated on me that same night.”

“Yikes, what happened? If you don;t mind me asking.”

“Not at all. He waited until I was asleep, before leaving and banging one of his fellow cadets. He was in pilot training at the time.” Angela laughed suddenly.

“What's so funny?”

“Just thinking about what happened next.” Angela shivered. Realizing they were on the wrong side of the covered, the couple relocated into their war sanctuary lying face to face.

“So what happened?” Fareeha asked after a moment.

“I made sure he failed his final exam.”

“No way!” Angela nodded, bemused at Fareeha's shocked expression. “How?”

“Slipped him a fast acting laxative right before takeoff.”

“Wait you dated 'two minute Henry'?!”

“Not my finest hour.”

They lapsed into silence, and Fareeha gently traced patterns on Angela's skin. The doctor's breathing became softer, and her eyes slipped shut. Fareeha found her own eyelids grow heavy. She shifted her head and placed one last kiss on Angela's brow, eliciting a hum from the doctor. She then closed her own eyes, and the two lovers fell asleep together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhhhhhhhhhh cute birbs being cute. The chapter is name after one of my favorite songs of all time. I was tempted to break it into two parts as it kinda ballooned in length, but decided against it so hopefully it doesn't drag too much. Anyways hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading!
> 
> ps. The nightclub is based off of one I used to got to several years ago. Unfortunately it closed down to get renovated and was never really the same after =P


	14. The Long Way Round

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild update appeared!

Fareeha was the first to awake the next morning, her limbs thoroughly entangled with Angela's. She dared not move, lest she wake the sleeping doctor, so she closed her eyes and attempted to go back to sleep. Try as she might slumber eluded her, her brain racing as she dissected the implications of the night before. Even the mere though of it made her ears turn red, and stirred deep passions in her chest. She opened her eyes and studied the sleeping form of her lover. Angela's lips were slightly parted and her chest rose and fell with soft breaths. Fareeha brushed the hair out of Angela's face, admiring the golden locks. She trailed a thumb down the doctor's cheek, lingering on her jawline. She truly was an angel, her beauty radiant. Fareeha's touch prompted Angela to open her eyes.

“Mmm,” Angela hummed, “I could get used to being woken up like that.”

Fareeha gave her a warm smile and dipped in for a kiss.

“Good morning ya amar.” She whispered when they parted. Angela replied with another kiss.

“Good morning to you too schatz,” she snuggled up to Fareeha and wrapped her arms back around her, “What time is it?”

“0943.” Fareeha replied. 

Angela sighed and blew her bangs out of her eyes.

“I should get up, Reinhardt will be here any minute.”

As if on queue there was a loud knocking at the door.

“Just a minute!” Angela called back. She hurriedly threw on a tank top and a pair of boxers before heading to the door. Fareeha debated hiding herself completely, but ended up deciding to cover everything but her head. After all, Lena had seen them 'occupied' with one another the night before. If they was any doubt about them being official, it was erased in that moment. Angela checked to see that Fareeha was at least partially covered before opening the door.

“Good morning!” Reinhardt greeted her, his voice far to loud for the time of day, “Did you enjoy your evening out?”

“Yes, the lieutenant and I had a good time.”

“Ah, excellent! It's nice to see her relax once in a while.”

“I heard that!” Fareeha shouted from the bed. Angela and Reinhardt shared a laugh.

“I trust Juno was on her best behavior?” Angela asked, as she got down on one knee to greet her dog.

“She was indeed, Bella was happy to see her sister.” Reinhardt replied.

“We'll have to take them for a walk sometime this week.” Angela suggested, “It's been a while since I last saw her.”

“Indeed, I am sure she will be delighted.” He said, more enthusiastic than normal. “I'll let you get back to the lieutenant, assuming she is still awake.”

“I'm right here!” Was the indignant reply from inside.

“Just making sure Fareeha, someone has to without Ana around.”

He gave Angela a smile and a wave, before strolling off down the hall whistling an old tune.

Angela shut the door and watched with an amused expression as Juno scrambled up onto the bed to greet Fareeha. The soldier squealed as Juno licked her face, her tired and groggy arms flailing feebly in defense. Angela giggled, clearly amused by Fareeha's predicament.

“A little help here!” Fareeha squeaked out.

Angela picked up Juno's dish off the floor and filled it with food. The sound of kibbles rattling in the metal bowl immediately grabbed Juno's attention. She jumped off the bed and padded over to Angela, wagging her tail eagerly. Angela scratched her head before placing the bowl on the floor, and Juno tucked into her second breakfast with gusto. Angela stripped her clothes off and walked into the small bathroom. She turned on the shower, before popping her head back out of the room.

“I'm going to have a shower,” she said, “You are more than welcome to join me.”

Fareeha was in the shower so fast Angela was sure her feet never touched the floor.

 

The next week passed by in similar fashion. While often occupied with various tasks during the day, the couple always spent the evening together. Sometimes they went out, other nights were spent cuddling in their quarters watching movies. Juno was a little put out at first, having lost her spot on Angela's bed. She took to lying on Fareeha's pillow, and made a game out of being shooed off. Eventually she settled for sleeping on the couples feet once they had gone to sleep. When Fareeha commented on this Angela simply shrugged.

“She wouldn't do it if she wasn't comfortable.” She told Fareeha.

The first squad meeting with the rest of the squad was a little awkward. Lena had been surprisingly discreet with who she spread the story too, but Helix squad and Hana were the first to know. Hana had hooted at them both, while Saleh and Tariq mercilessly teased the couple at every opportunity. They put up with it because they knew it was all in good fun, and their tormentors made sure never to go too far.

Jesse and Satya made some headway in their hunt for Deadlock's main base. Through Jesse's extensive network of contacts they had narrowed down the location to a handful of systems. Their they hit a roadblock. All the systems lay in the Castallan Verge, aka 'Contested Space', and were listed as uninhabited. Any physical reconnaissance to these worlds had a very high chance of tipping off their adversaries. Satya had been the one to propose a solution.

“The hacker, this 'Sombra' character, she would know yes?”

“Most likely.” Jesse replied, “Or at least she would have a discrete way of finding out.”

“Then we need to contact her.”

“How? She didn't exactly leave a name and number.”

“She seems the type to enjoy a challenge. This,” Satya held up a microchip, “Should suffice.”

“I don't follow.” Jesse replied.

“It's a communication scrambler chip.” Angela chimed in. “Epsilon III series if I am not mistaken.”

“Indeed, most observant of you doctor.” Satya replied with the faintest of smiles. “Standard issue in all LCDF ships. Each chip is randomized so it encrypts differently.”

“How are you able to unscramble them?” Jesse asked.

Satya huffed in annoyance.

“There is a companion chip unique to each ship that helps with that. The process is complicated, hence why it takes four years to become a communication technician for anything larger than a shuttle. The companion for this chip,” she gestured to the one in her prosthetic hand, “Was lost when the freighter it was on crashed due to mechanical failure.”

“Doesn't protocol dictate that they need to be destroyed once recovered?” Fareeha asked.

“Normally yes, an exception was made for this one as it was a prototype adding a fifth layer of encryption.”

“So what's the plan?” Angela asked, eager to get back on topic.

“Simple, we connect this chip to the web using on of the public terminals at the academy. We then put out an anonymous challenge on certain websites and communities to try to break through the encryption. If this hacker really is as skilled as you say, she won't be able to resist.”

“Will it be enough of a challenge?” Jesse asked with a mischievous smile.

“Of course it will.” Satya replied.

“How do you know?”

“Because I designed it.” Satya finished, shutting him down.

“I doubt the brass will approve of us putting restricted tech like this out in the public domain.” Angela said, concerned, “This seems like a perfect opportunity for Alliance intelligence.”

“Morrison gave me the approval this morning.”

“Does the admiralty board know?”

Satya shook her head. Angela sighed.

“Will they know about it?”

Satya shook her head again and spoke.

“Now if we are done with the pointless queries I have a test to set up.”

 

The bait, if you could call it that, was fully set up on the final day of shore leave, Morison had agreed to delay their departure for forty-eight hours but no later.

“I'm already under enough pressure to leave right now, and staying anymore than two days raises suspicions.” He told them, “And the less the admiralty board knows about this the better. A full supply restock and internal maintenance inspection will be our excuse, but that means we will all have jobs to do.”

He was right, there was a lot of work. Fareeha barely say Angela, their duties preoccupied them too much. They managed to steal a few precious moments at sunrise and sunset. A quick peck on the lips before collapsing, exhausted, onto Angela's bed. What little they was of Jesse wasn't encouraging. Satya had kicked him off the bridge for pestering her for updates on the encryption chip, so he spent most of his time trying not to get in the way of the crew. The evening of the second day came with no word from Satya. Fareeha retreated to the armory to fiddle with her Raptora suit, one of the shoulder flaps was beginning to stick and she wanted to work the problem out before they departed. To her relief the armory was deserted, the crew having completed their tasks earlier in the day. After her last escapade with Torbjorn's sound system she had been expressly forbidden from using it. Instead she had purchased a small portable sound system, which was currently blasting Thunderstruck from her work bench. Suddenly a figure burst though the armory door, startling her and causing her to drop the wrench from her hand. It was Angela.

“She did it!” Her face bore an expression of great excitement.

“Who did what?” Fareeha asked as she retrieved her tool from the floor.

“Sombra, she made an attempt on the encryption chip! Satya was able to get a few minutes of conversation time with her! Morrison wants us in the briefing room.”

Abandoning her work, Fareeha and Angela practically sprinted the whole way, arriving just as the captain exited the room. He raised his eyebrows at their flustered faces and ragged hair, but decided not to comment. They snapped off hasty salutes.

“Just on my way to personally fetch Satya.” He said, “Take a seat, the others will be here shortly.”

He was right. They were soon joined by Jesse who nodded to them quietly before sitting at the head of the long table in the room. To Angela and Fareeha's surprise the rest of the senior officer core filed into he room and took their seats. Reinhardt was there, he greeted the couple with a hearty hello. He then introduced them to one of his subordinates. 1st Lieutenant Aleksandra Zaryanova was an imposing figure. Once a rising star in the world of weight lifting, her life took a dramatic turn when her home colony was raided by pirates. She abandoned her athletic ambitions and enlisted in the LCDF, never looking back. Her career was remarkable, having risen from private to lieutenant solely on her accomplishments in the field. A very hands on officer, she led the company of 150 marines used on ground operations. 

Torbjorn was there as well, and he also brought a protege who was a unique sight. Instead of bright pink hair and an impressive facial scar, Winston was unique in that he was a sentient member of a non-sentient species. A genetically modified gorilla, he was part of a privately funded project on Luna. Several ape species were subject to genetic modification to enhance their intelligence to be on par with the best and brightest humans. The scientists involved on the project failed to factor in the free will of the subjects, and soon fell victim to an uprising. A few scientists and apes who refused to participate in the rebellion managed to escape the facility before it was obliterated by orbital bombardment. Winston was on of those few.

Genji was there too, the recently promoted gunnery chief now commanded the recon platoon after the previous commander was wounded in action on Colmar IV. He greeted Angela and Fareeha with a brief nod of the head before silently taking a seat. A large group of pilots were the next to arrive. They were were the squadron leaders for all the craft in LCS Calgary's compliment, Lena and Hana among them. They settled on either side of the couple as the seats began to fill up. The wing commander, a young human named Erik Lofthouse, walked in next alongside the ship's flight controller, an Anthanebian named Joric Bistan. Zenyatta and a doctor Angela recognized as Angela's XO entered at the same time as the ship's navigation officer, an Anthanebian name Elhara Dragona. Finally the captain returned with Satya in tow. All conversation ceased as the group stood and saluted.

“As you were.” He said, “Bastion please initiate Alcatraz protocol, verification delta two niner six.”

“Confirmed, awaiting secondary input.” The AI replied.

“XO Reinhardt, verification Charlie four three seven.” Reinhardt responded.

“Acknowledged, initiating Alcatraz protocol.”

The lights in the room flickered for a moment and the doors locked, effectively sealing the occupants in the room. The protocol closed the room off from the outside world both physically and electronically, ensuring no recording devices of any kind, including the ship's own security cameras and recorders, had access to the room. It meant there would be no record that this meeting ever took place.

“This briefing is to be off the record,” the captain explained, “as is the mission that follows. Lieutenant Vaswani and Auxiliary McCree will continue.”

Jesse stood and joined Satya at the head of the table, where holo-display had lowered from the roof. Satya spoke first.

“As some of you are already aware, there has been an active intelligence gathering operation that has been ongoing since the engagement on Colmar IV. The recent undercover operation on Talos VI produced a breakthrough by providing us with a potential informant. She calls herself Sombra, and claims to be a member of the terrorist organization known as Talon.”

“Can we trust this 'Sombra'?” Torbjorn asked gruffly, “How do we know we are not being fed false information on purpose?”

“I can vouch for the credibility of this source,” Jesse said. Angela and Fareeha nodded.

“I still have my reservations,” Fareeha said, “But she did save our lives.”

“It's going to take a little more than your good word to convince me.” Protested the engineer, “And for all we know she-” 

Morrison interrupted him with a raised hand.

“I am aware of the risks.” He said calmly, but Fareeha could see the impatience just beneath the surface.

“This is the exact same decision making that got us into trouble on the Overwatch!” The Swede continued, “Chasing ghosts while the real threat ta-”

“That's quite enough Staff Lieutenant Lindholm,” Morrison's tone was sharp, “But this matter is not up for debate. We are pursuing this lead.”

Torbjorn shook his head sadly. 

“Your making the same mistake Jack.” He muttered under his breath, “And just like last time Ana isn't here to bail you out.”

Morrison ignored him comments, and motioned for Satya and Jesse to continue. She picked up where she left off as if there had been no interruption at all.

“With help from auxiliary McCree's contacts we were able to narrow down the potential systems being used by the Deadlock gang to five. Unfortunately our efforts hit a dead end at that point.”

She pressed a button on the table and a map of the galaxy popped up on the holo-display. With an exaggerated flick of her wrist the map zoomed in to focus on the Castallan Verge with all five potential systems highlighted.

“As all five systems are uninhabited and off major trade routes, physical reconnaissance runs a very high risk of tipping off our adversaries.” Jesse explained. “This is where Sombra comes in. She is at this moment going through Talon's database to find the location. She had promised to supply us with the location and as much of a technical readout as she can.”

“How did you manage to contact this hacker?” Winston asked.

“That's classified.” Satya responded flatly.

“Classified?” Aleksandra inquired skeptically.

“Classified.” Was Morrison's firm response. “The less you know the better.”

“She has agreed to a data drop. At 0800 hours local time on the 20th of June she will drop a data packet here,” a system zoomed into focus on the map, “at this location.”

The room went silent. Angela's breath caught in her mouth as she recognized the planet before her.

“Deneb.” She whispered.

“Where it all began.” Jesse said with solemn eyes.

“Why?” Hana asked, “Why there? Why the hell would she pick there of all places?”

“As a warning.” Reinhardt replied softly, “A reminder of what is at stake, and what will happen should we ignore her.”

“The agreed location will be a terminal in the library of New Zurich University.” Satya said, “A small retrieval team will be necessary. I will be leading it, and Jesse will be coming as well.”

“The data packet will require a DNA sample from both of us to fully download.” She explained, “Room is limited, a small team attracts less attention.”

“Our presence in the system will be easy to explain. Our current assignment is to replace LCS Lima, who is on station there. Deneb is on her regular patrol route, which is also a reason why it serves as an excellent location for this handover.” The captain stated. “Once we have the intel we will be hitting the base immediately.”

The room was silent as he let the implication of his words sink in.

“I'd like to volunteer for the retrieval team.” To everyone's surprise it was Angela who spoke up. “You'll need someone who knows the area, and I have a secluded cabin that can be used as a safe house if things go bad.”

“Angela are you sure?” Morrison asked, “You don't have to do this.”

“I'll be fine.” She replied. Fareeha gave her hand a gentle squeeze under the table.

“I volunteer as well.” Fareeha said. Angela smiled, he heart soaring.

“Me too!” Lena declared.

“Then it's settled. The four of you will retrieve the data.”

“I assume we have some sort of cover?” Fareeha asked.

“It is a time honored tradition for the crew of a ship to pay respects to the dead at their new posting. The four of you will have an official duty to preform, laying wreaths of remembrance at the LCDF and civilian memorial in New Zurich.”

Fareeha nodded, she had been assigned to do the same thing several times on the Anubis. Captain Amari's daughter was highly sought after for such ceremonies. 

“We will take care of the travel details later on tonight, but we will make sure you are in a hotel close to the university. Angela's cabin will be a last resort option if things go really bad, but remember that the Calgary will be in orbit the whole time.”

“Are we expecting things to go bad sir?” Lena asked tentatively.

The captain looked at Satya, who looked at Jesse, who simply shrugged.

“No.” Morrison finally answered, “But it never hurts to be prepared. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.”

 

The meeting dragged on for several long hours as the specifics of the plan were hammered out. The senior staff also began to make preparations for the raid on the Deadlock base. No specifics, but they brainstormed potential strategies and problems that could arise. Angela, Fareeha, and most of the group were dismissed around midnight, while a few core staff including Satya discussed things until 0200 hours. Angela and Fareeha retired to Angela's quarters, and promptly collapsed on the bed from exhaustion.

 

The next morning dawned far to early for both of them. The blaring of Angela's alarm jarred the couple out of their slumber. Juno greeted them with perky ears and a wagging tail. Angela scratched her dog's ears as Fareeha mumbled and grumbled next to her. Angela yawned, stretching like a cat, before getting out of bed.

“I don't know how you do it.” Said the soldier, her voice hoarse from disuse. 

“Do what?” Angela queried.

“Function this early without caffeine.”

“A side effect of my nanites. That and an increased apatite.”

“No long term side-effects?”

“No major ones so far. I do suffer from migraines more frequently, and the occasional episode of insomnia. Other than that I can't think of any off the top of my head.”

“Where do I sign up?” Fareeha joked.

“Well actually I could begin testing on you with very small doses to see if you react positively. If your body doesn't reject them-”

“Angela.”

“-Some kind of self-delivery system in the Raptora suit an-”

“Angela.”

“-Might require extensive modification, and that's not even taking-”

“Angela.”

“But maybe if-”

“Angela.”

“Yes?”

“I was joking.” Fareeha chuckled.

“Oh. Yes. Right. Sorry, I tend to get carried away talking about them.”

“I think it's cute.”

Angela blushed and looked away.

“Come here ya amar.”

Angela strode over to her, a little hesitant.

“You never kissed me good morning.” Fareeha whispered, and their lips met.

“Mmmm,” Angela hummed, “I'll never get tired of that.”

She smiled warmly at Fareeha, a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading through her body. Across from her, the very same feeling was taking hold of Fareeha too. They regarded each other through tender eyes. Angela traced a thumb over Fareeha's cheek. She slowly followed the lines of Fareeha's tattoo, her touch sending shivers down the soldiers spine. They leaned in until their foreheads rested against one another. After a moment Fareeha spoke.

“Are you sure about going on this one?” She asked softly.

“Yes,” Angela replied after a moment, “I need this. I need to go there, to do something good there.”

“If things go bad-”

“They won't.” Angela stated firmly.

“If things go bad,” Fareeha continued, “Will you be okay?”

Angela knew the implication of Fareeha's words. Would she be okay? If things went bad would she freeze? Would she hesitate? 

She knew her answer the moment she met Fareeha's eyes.

“Yes, I will be okay,” she said firmly, “I have you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooooooo update woot woot. A little shorter, but that's fine by me because long chapters can get tedious to write. I've recently fallen into the pit that is Pillars of Eternity and good god what a great game (and serous time sink holy shit). Anyways hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!
> 
> ps the amount of traffic the last chapter got kinda blew my mind a little, especially considering I was (and still am) super nervous about it


	15. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UDPATATE

Darkness. 

Angela's world was pitch black. 

Then a light appeared in the inky blackness, a dim red glow on the horizon. Angela moved towards it. As she neared the light it began to flicker, as if the source was fire. She could begin to make out shapes in the glow. A skyline emerged behind the light, one she was familiar with but could not quite name. Angela continued closer, drawn by curiosity. With every step she took, a creeping sense of doom began to build in the pit of her stomach.

Suddenly the hair on the back of her neck stood up, sending shivers down her spine, as the full horror of what she was witnessing struck home. It was a city, her city. New Zurich was ablaze before her, and the horrified screams of its occupants drifted towards her on a breeze. That same breeze bore the smell of death, burnt flesh and charred metal. She felt like vomiting, but her body refused to cooperate with her brain. It seemed to be drawn to the flames of its own accord and Angela was pulled ever closer.

A black mist began to swirl around her, adding to the sense of dread which permeated her bones. 

An thunderclap ripped through gloom, and great shape appeared from above. She recognized the profile of the Calgary, silhouetted against the flames. There was a tremendous explosion and the ship was rent in two. Angela tried to shield her eyes from the blinding glare but her arms remained glued to her side and her eyes refused to close. When the light died down she found herself on an empty and ruined street. Fires burned all around her but the screaming had stopped. In fact there was no noise at all, not even the crackle of the flames. The mist was back, swirling around her in a frenzy. It coalesced into a shadowy form, the man from Talos VI.

Her fallen comrade.

Gabriel Reyes.

“Surprised to see me?” He growled.

Angela tried to reply, but her lips remained sealed.

“You did this to me,” he said, pointing a clawed finger in accusation, “And now you pay the price.”

Another figure materialized from the swirling mist. It was Fareeha, in full combat gear. Angela tried to scream in warning but again her body refused to cooperate. Desperately she fought, using every ounce of her will, but it was no use. Reyes raised his gun and pointed it squarely at Fareeha's chest.

A shot rang out.

 

Angela's eyes shot open and she bolted upright in the hotel bed, coming face to face with a concerned looking Fareeha.

“You're...you're alive.” She stammered out, trying to catch her breath. Fareeha tentatively reached out and covered Angela's hands with her own.

“I-you-he killed you.” Angela said, eyes wide.

“It's okay,” Fareeha replied, “I'm right here, and I'm very much alive.” 

Her thumbs traced small patterns on the doctor's hands, helping to calm her down. She offered Angela a smile.

“Can I get you anything?” She asked after Angela's breathing returned to normal levels, “A glass of water maybe?”

“Hold me.” Angela replied, “Please.”

Fareeha nodded. She guided Angela back down onto the bed. She wrapped her strong arms around the doctors frame, her thumbs still tracing patterns on Angela's skin. Fareeha pressed a kiss to Angela's neck

“Better?” She whispered after a moment.

“Yes.” Angela replied. “Sorry I woke you up.”

“Angela.” Fareeha's tone was firm, “You don't have to apologize.”

“I know, I just felt I should. I didn't hit you did I?”

“No but you were starting to thrash a bit before you woke up.”

They lay there in silence for a while.

“Fareeha?”

“Mmm?”

“Thanks.”

 

0845, June 21st 2545,  
New Zurich, Deneb

Angela slept fitfully for the rest of the night. The next morning dawned far too early, the ceremony was going to be hard to get through. They changed into their dress blues before meeting Jesse and Satya in the hotel lobby. Breakfast was quick, no more than a coffee and a pastry (Angela's coffee being extra strong). They wished Jesse and Satya good luck. The pair were headed to the university and the data dump point. Angela and Fareeha were going to lay a wreath on behalf of the Calgary and her crew.

“We'll contact you the moment it is done.” Satya told them, and she lead Jesse out of the hotel. Angela and Fareeha hailed a cab for the short ride over to the cemetery. They sat in silence, Angela unwilling to discuss her dream and Fareeha not wanting to push the subject. Upon arriving at the New Zurich Commonwealth Cemetery they stepped out of the cab, paid their fare, and hefted the two wreaths given to them by the captain. They were met by an honor guard of seven marines, in full dress blues, who marched them in step towards the cenotaph at the center of the grounds. The pathway they parched down was lined with flagpoles, each flying a flag of a nation or colony who had citizens in the cemetery. The four around the cenotaph stood higher than the rest. The Swiss cross and the Canadian maple leaf in front, and the Commonwealth crest and Deneb shield in the back. The cenotaph itself was a small black obelisk covered in plaques from every regiment and ship involved in the battle. It was here that the guard halted, and the couple along with them. The soldiers fanned out to either side, before a brisk command from the sergeant at arms stood them to attention. The commandant of the facility walked over to greet them, trailed by a bugler. The couple saluted as the sergeant's command rang out.

“Ten Hut!”

The commandant returned the salute before striding up to greet them.

“Nice to meet you Lieutenant Amari.” She said, shaking her hand, “Congratulations on your promotion.” She offered Fareeha a genuine smile, which the soldier returned.

The commandant moved to Angela next. She shook her hand, before clasping the doctor on the shoulder.

“It's good to see back home Angela, it's been far too long.”

“Indeed. It's good to be back, even if it's only for a short time.”

Out of the corner of her eye Fareeha could tell Angela's smile was not genuine, and her tone wasn't either. The commandant didn't notice or chose not to acknowledge Angela's discomfort.

“Shall we get on with it?” The officer asked.

Fareeha gave a curt nod in response.

“Present arms!” 

At the sharp command from the sergeant at arm the guards brandished their weapons with a mechanical snap. Fareeha and Angela, wreaths in hand, began to march towards the cenotaph. Their steps were slow and exaggerated, as if on the parade ground. When they reached the cenotaph the commandant spoke.

“On behalf of the Deneb garrison, I accept this offering of remembrance. Lest we forget.” She saluted, “All hail the victorious dead!”

The bugler sounded the Last Post, and Fareeha and Angela gently lowered their wreaths onto two small stands at the base of the cenotaph. They stood erect and saluted, remaining that way until the bugler had finished. Several tears rolled down Angela's face as she remembered those lost. Fareeha shed some herself as she reflected on those lost in the line of duty. She also gave quiet thanks that her squad had been spared this kind of tragedy so far, and resolved to do her best to keep it from ever happening. When the bugler finished the sergeant gave a sharp command.

“Ready!” There was a mechanical snap as weapons were readied and safeties turned off.

“Aim!” The soldiers aimed their rifles at the sky.

“Fire!” A deafening crack rent the still morning air as the seven soldiers fired in unison.

The commands were repeated two more times, completing the twenty-one gun salute. When it was finished the couple turned back to the commandant. She thanked them again, before dismissing the guards and returning to her office. Angela and Fareeha lingered on the grounds.

“Any word from Satya?” Angela asked. Fareeha shook her head, so they kept wandering the grounds. The cemetery contained over ten thousand individual graves, each marked with a small white headstone. There were several large memorials as well, for those whose bodies were never recovered or were too degraded to firmly identify. Occasionally Angela would stop and point out a name, explaining who they were and how she knew them. Some of the names were even familiar to Fareeha, as their actions in the battle made them heroes to the Commonwealth. Private Stephen Mathews, who sacrificed his life to save thirteen children. Lieutenant Anna Kristofferman, whose resolute defense of the main broadcast antenna ensured word reached the outside world of the unfolding crisis. They passed a monument to LCS Jericho and her crew, who fought on despite being heavily outnumbered.

They finally came to a stop beside two ordinary looking graves. Their significance dawned on Fareeha when she bent down to read the names.

“Corporal Rita Zeigler, 233rd Planetary Militia” and beside it lay “Private Elias Zeigler, 233rd Planetary Militia”

Angela's parents. Fareeha read the quotes below both the names. Rita's headstone read “Stormed at with shot and shell,” while that of her husbands read “Boldly they rode and well, into the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell.”

“Tennyson?” Fareeha asked.

“My father was a fan.” Angela replied. “It seemed appropriate given what happened.”

Fareeha stood up.

“I can leave if you need a moment alone.” She said.

“No.” Angela replied. She wrapped an arm around Fareeha's waist. “I want you to be here, to see this.” She gestured to the seemingly endless rows of graves.

“Why?” Fareeha asked, no accusation in her tone.

“To understand me. Why I hate fighting, why I hate war. I can never seem to escape what happened here, no matter how hard I try.”

She rested her head on Fareeha's shoulder.

“I'm tired of running.” She said eventually.

“So don't.” Fareeha said. “Stand and fight.”

“I wish I had your courage.”

“You don't need it.” Fareeha turned to look her in the eye. “I can't fight this battle for you, but I can be here for support when you need it.”

She pressed a soft kiss to the doctors scalp, and Angela hummed pleasantly.

“May I ask a question?” Fareeha ventured, “A personal one.”

Angela inclined her head.

“Why come back at all? If being here is so painful, why do it?”

Angela thought for a moment before answering.

“Because this was...Is home. I grew up here, I still have family here and own property here. There is so much more to this planet than this,” she nodded in the direction of the cenotaph. “And with you here,” she shrugged, “I feel a little more confident.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Fareeha said, and brought the doctor in for a soft kiss.

“Maybe one day I can show you.”

“I'd like that.” She smiled at Angela. “I'd like that a lot.”

Silence descended again, and the couple watched a pair of swallows dart among the trees lining the pathway. 

“Thank you for coming.” Angela said. 

“I'll always be there for you.” Fareeha replied softly. She brushed Angela's bangs out of her face. “I like you, a lot. I don't want to use the the other 'L' word, not yet anyways, but you mean a lot to me. So anything I can do...”

Angela silenced her with another kiss.

“I like you a lot too.” She paused, and turned to the gravestones, “I think they would have too.”

“You think so?”

“Mhmm.” Angela looked at her boots, studying her reflection in the well polished surface.

“I miss them so much.” She said softly, “Sometimes I wonder what would happen if they were still here.”

“I know the feeling.” Fareeha replied, her voice a whisper. She pulled Angela into her embrace, and held the doctor tight. They stood there, oblivious to the world, and comforted one another as they remembered those lost.

 

Across town things were far more hectic.

“What do you mean they are tracking you?!” Jesse shouted, causing Satya to glare at him sharply, “How is that even possible?”

“I don't know!” was Sombra's curt reply, “If I did we wouldn't be having this conversation. The longer the stream is open the more exact of a reading they will get.”

“Keep the data coming.” Satya said firmly. “Our shuttle is already on it's way.”

“Good because-” Sombra's voice cut out, replaced by static. Jesse and Satya exchanged a worried look. The data stream stopped, locked at 43%.

“What now?” Jesse asked.

“We wait. Lena will take a few more minutes to get here anyways.”

“Should I call Angela and Fareeha?”

“No. If they are tracking the data stream any calls we make stand a chance of being intercepted as long as it's open.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“I don't, but caution is the best approach regarding these sorts of things.”

Jesse huffed and leaned back against one of the terminal's walls, crossing his arms. Satya kept her gaze on the screen, watching for any sign of activity. Jesse began to twitch with impatience, drumming his fingers on his metal arm. The clinking noise it created began to try Satya's patience. Fortunately the data stream began to move again.

“Hey, you amigos still there?” 

It took them a moment to realize it was Sombra, for the voice modulation was gone and she sounded out of breath.

“Yeah, we are. What happened?” Jesse asked.

“No time to explain, I'm on the run.”

“What abou-”

“The download will finish, don't worry.” Sombra interjected, “But once it's finished you better run. They have a ship on the way!”

“Shit.” Jesse raised an eyebrow, Satya never swore. “I'll alert the Calgary, you call the other two.”

“Looks like next time we talk it will be in person,” Sombra said, “I'm going to need a place to lie low for a while.”

An idea popped into Jesse's head.

“I know just the place!” He said.

 

“You want to do what?!” Angela shouted.

“Ang, we don't have time to argue,” Jesse pleaded, “You did agree we could use it as a safe house if things go bad, and things are going bad. We'll make sure to pick up your stuff from the hotel.”

The doctor sighed in defeat, and Fareeha gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Fine,” she said, “But you owe me big time cowboy!”

“Thanks Ang, you won't regret it!”

“I sure hope not.” Angela ended the call. She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her bangs. “Of all the half assed ideas he's come up with...”

“It's not that bad.” Fareeha replied. “Think of it as an extended vacation. Plus you can probably write off all the expenses as work related.”

Angela glared at her before shaking her head.

“What?” Fareeha asked.

“It's probably a good thing you and Jesse hadn't met up until now, he would have said the exact same thing.”

“Are you implying I am a troublemaker doctor?”

“Perhaps.”

“Well great minds do think alike.” Fareeha smirked, causing Angela to chuckle. “It won't be bad, just a couple days. Sombra said she was coming straight here as fast as possible.”

“And if the Calgary goes on the raid without us?”

“They won't. I don't like to toot my own horn but we ARE critical to the operation.”

“I didn't pack for this either! No clothes other than this,” she gestured to her uniform, “and what I wore yesterday, not to mention my nanites.”

“Your what?”

“My nanites. I have to inject them daily because they are programmed to shut down and be absorbed by the body after 24 hours. I don't think I brought enough for more than a couple days.” Her speech picked up speed, “And food! We are going-”

“Angela.”

“-and that doesn't even consider-”

“Angela.” Fareeha gently clasped her shoulders. “Relax. One thing at a time.”

The doctor took a deep breath.

“Right. Okay. Thanks.” She gave Fareeha a gratified smile. The soldier returned it.

“Anytime.” She said. “So...”

“Car. We need a ride.”

“Rental?”

“Not enough time. The nearest dealership is halfway across town and the process is...slow to say the least. Plus it means we have to return it. The less time we spend in the city the better. If Deadlock or Talon have a ship on the way, an undercover ground team is likely.” She pulled out her phone. “I'll call my uncle, he should be able to lend us one and pick it up when we have to leave.”

“How can I help?”

Angela pulled out her credit chit.

“Food, drinks, and anything else you think we might need.” She pointed towards a multi story building a couple blocks from the memorial grounds. “The first three floors of that are a department store, part of a locally owned franchise. I'll meet you in the first floor food court in,” she glanced at her watch, “An hour-ish. Sound good?”

“A whole hour? Are you sure this is quicker?”

“Yes, trust me. My uncle lives out of town, it's a bit of a drive.” Angela explained.

“Fair enough. Any requests from the store?”

“Chocolate.”

“Chocolate, gotcha.” Fareeha turned to walk away.

“Fareeha?” She turned back to face Angela.

“Make sure it's Swiss chocolate.”

 

An hour later Fareeha found herself in the food court, surrounded by bags. She berated herself for spending too much, and resolved to pay Angela back, especially since a chunk of the items were not what Angela had initially asked for. She checked her phone again, but there was still no word from the doctor. She finished the last bite of her meal, a sandwich from one of the food stalls on the first floor. She checked her phone again. Still nothing. Worry was beginning to set in. She glanced towards the main entrance and watched the cars flicker by outside. Her phone buzzed and her face lit up upon seeing the sender. It was Angela.

“I'm parked outside,” her text read, “Illegally too so hurry please.”

Fareeha chuckled upon reading the last line. She tossed the packaging from her sandwich in a nearby garbage can before gathering up the mass of bags and exiting the building. Right outside the entrance was the sleek black shape of a luxury sedan, two of its wheels up the curb. The passenger side window rolled down and Angela waved sheepishly from inside. Fareeha quickly stowed all the bags but one in back seat. She then took her place in the front, reaching into the remaining bag and handed a small package to Angela.

“Swiss chocolate, just as requested.” Fareeha said.

Angela opened the package and popped one of the chocolates in her mouth. Her eyes rolled back and she moaned exaggeratedly.

“Thank you,” she said when she had finished, “That was just was I needed.”

She leaned in and kissed a stunned Fareeha.

“Now let's get out of here before I get a ticket.”

 

The two hour drive was one of the most pleasant Fareeha had ever been on. They talked and joked, and quickly discovered they had a pleasant harmony when singing along to songs from Fareeha's phone. Angela occasional pointed out sights as they drove, and shared stories of her time on her uncle's farm. After an hour and a half they passed through the foothills and into the mountains themselves. Angela named each peak as they passed.

“The Olympian range was named by a Greek pathfinder when the planet was first discovered.” She explained, “Most of the vegetation was brought in during the terraforming process. Douglas fir, lodge-pole pine and aspen make up most of the forest around here.”

“That,” Angela said, gesturing with one hand, “Is Mount Athena. My cabin is on one of the ridges below it.”

Fareeha's eyes followed Angela's finger and took in the peak before her. Mount Athena rose over 4400 meters above sea level, and towered over her nearby sisters. Snow could clearly be seen blowing off the lofty peak, despite it being the middle of summer in Deneb's southern hemisphere. The pyramid shaped mass of rock had several spiny tree covered ridges protruding from its lower flanks, and it was towards one of these that the road now took them.

“Has anyone ever climbed it?” Fareeha asked, still staring at the peak.

“Yes actually. My father led the first successful ascent.” Angela said with a hint of pride in her voice, “He promised to take me one day. I never got the chance to do it with him.” She smiled sadly. “I spread a portion of my parent's ashes from the summit two years ago.”

Angela turned the car off the highway and onto a gravel side road.

“You climb?” Fareeha inquired after a lull in the conversation.

Angela nodded.

“Have since I was four. Zeus was my first ascent at age six.” She pointed to a jagged looking peak across the valley. “My dad carried me most of the way.”

The car slowed, diverting Fareeha's attention.

“We're here.” Angela said. Fareeha looked around, confused.

“I don't see anything.” Fareeha said. “Are you sure?”

Angela smiled cryptically at the response, and pressed a button on the dashboard. What looked like a rocky embankment beside the road suddenly opened in front of Fareeha's astonished eyes. Angela gently guided the car inside, and the camouflaged door closed behind them.

“Okay that was pretty cool!” Fareeha exclaimed once they were inside.

“This was an old militia bunker, decommissioned over seventy years ago. My parents bought it soon after they settled on the planet and turned it into a cabin they could use as a base for climbing.” Angela told her as they exited the car, “After they were killed it passed to my uncle, who added a few modern updates. I took possession of it once I turned eighteen, but it's largely as my uncle left it. It's totally off the grid, and is primarily solar powered.”

They gathered up the bags and made for a door at the back of the garage.

“Normally we'd hike up the trail to the cabin,” Angela said as she stepped into the long corridor behind the door, but going up the hill with all these bags would not be a pleasant experience.”

Fareeha followed her down the corridor and a few minutes later they arrived at another door. Angela keyed in the code, and the reinforced steel structure swung open. A large store room, shelves lined with canned and freeze-dried food, was revealed before them. 

“I thought you said there was no food here?”

“None of this is mine,” Angela said, “It all technically belongs to the parks service, who use this as an emergency station. All cabins in the Olympia range are required to have something similar.” She motioned towards a small door at the back of the room. “We should be able to find room for everything you bought upstairs.”

“Looks like you have enough for years down here.” remarked Fareeha.

“Enough to sit out the winter in comfort.” Angela said. “Rescue operations were almost impossible in the early days of the colony, so if you got stranded out here nobody would be able to come for months at a time.” She pushed another button, and the small door opened. “Come, this way.”

Fareeha followed her into a small elevator. A short moment later the couple stepped out into the cabin proper.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Angela said. She placed the bags she had been carrying onto the counter in the small kitchen.

“I'll go see what kind of cloths I might have left here.”

Fareeha placed her own bags on the counter before turning to study the cabins interior. The kitchen occupied the southwest corner of the cabin, and was fitted out with the latest appliances which were sunk neatly into the logs of the walls. There was no dining room, instead the remainder of the cabin was essentially a large sitting room. A large wood burning fireplace occupied much of the north wall. A couch and a couple of chairs were arranged around it, as were some small tables. A wall mount for a TV was visible above the mantle. The east wall held two doors, one being the main entrance which lead to a front porch, the other opened to hallway. A small laundry room was halfway down this while the end of the corridor lead to the bedroom, which Angela had said used to be a separate building. The south wall, which had the elevator door, also had a sliding door out to a balcony. The wooden structure surrounded the cabin on all sides save the north.

It seemed rather cozy to Fareeha, and she imagined spending the long winter months cuddled up with Angela under a thick blanket and in front of a roaring fire. Her daydreaming was brought to a swift end with Angela's return from the bedroom. She had ditched her dress blues for a hoodie and sweatpants, both emblazoned with the logo of New Zurich University. Her hair was down too, and the smile she flashed Fareeha made her jaw drop.

“Here,” she said, tossing a bundle of cloths to the stunned soldier, “They might be a bit small but they're all I have.”

“Thanks.” Fareeha stuttered, moving rapidly for the bedroom. “Food is in the bags by the stove.”

Angela giggled.

“Gotcha, I'll start unpacking.” Angela said to her departing form.

Fareeha returned a few minutes later.

“The uh, shirt, is uh, a little tight.” Fareeha said. Angela couldn't help another giggle escaping at the sight. It was not Fareeha's torso that was the issue but rather her arms, which stretched the fabric of the poor ZSU t-shirt Angela had lent her. The sleeves bulged under the strain, and gave way dramatically as Fareeha flexed experimentally, causing them both to laugh. Some quick tailoring work by Angela using a pair of scissors fixed the problem. Fareeha posed in her new tank top.

“Suns out guns out!” She declared.

Angela laughed and pulled her in for a kiss.

“They are your best feature.” She teased. Fareeha playfully dusted them off in response.

“So what did you pick up at the store?” Angela asked, “Besides junk the food.”

Fareeha pulled a small item out of the sole remaining bag. Angela's eyes went wide.

“Is that-”

“The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the 21st century extended edition!” Fareeha interrupted excitedly.

Angela practically jumped into her arms, coming close to toppling the soldier over.

“I love those movies!” She said, planting a kiss on Fareeha's cheek. “The TV is in the bedroom, can you grab it while I get a fire going?” She finished with a smile, and Fareeha smiled back.

“Sounds like a plan.” She said. Fareeha returned with the TV moments later to see Angela tending a small fire. The doctor helped her mount it on the wall fixture above the fireplace and hook it up. When that was done Angela disappeared to grab some blankets while Fareeha made tea and grabbed an assortment of snacks. When Angela returned they cuddled up on the couch under the blankets while the movie started. As the prologue began to play on the screen Fareeha watched as Angela mouthed along with the lines, totally engrossed with what was on screen. Fareeha felt a sudden surge of affection for the doctor. She leaned in and kissed Angela's cheek.

“You're so cute when you focus on things.” She whispered.

Angela blushed, but didn't stop the silent narration. Fareeha wrapped her arms around Angela and rested her head on the doctor's shoulder. Together they settled in for the long night ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOO update. This took a while to write, mostly because not a lot happens. Don't worry though, the plot is going to pick up in pace now as there is a battle brewing. The Tennyson reference is a nod to Ashley in Mass effect (Sheply is my ship) and I've been looking for an opportunity to put it in and this seemed like an appropriate moment. As always thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!


	16. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUESI-I MEAN UPDATE

0623 Hours, June 22nd, 2545,  
Aegis Ridge, Mount Athena, Deneb

 

The rapping of knuckles on wood brought Fareeha out of her slumber. Her hand fumbled around the small bedside table for her gun. Finding it, she gently shook Angela awake.

“We've got company.” Fareeha told her, her voice groggy. Angela yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Together they shambled to the front door as silently as possible. Angela peered through the peephole, before mouthing that she didn't recognize the person on the other side. Fareeha shrugged in response, and pointed her pistol at the door. Angela undid the lock and opened the door.

“Buenos Dia-Okay that's a gun!” Exclaimed the stranger, somewhat startled.

Before them stood a woman who Angela judged to be in her thirties. Half her head was shaved, and metal plates containing augmentations gleamed from where hair normally grows. Purple hair flowed past her shoulders on the other side. She wore a hip length purple jacket, and one of her hands firmly clutched at her abdomen. Her arms and legs seemed to glow, and appeared almost translucent. Closer inspection revealed a fabric totally unfamiliar to Angela, and she could make out wires and circuitry just under the surface. Her nails were bright purple, and were an almost comical length.

“State your business.” Fareeha ordered firmly.

“This isn't exactly the welcome I-”

“State. Your. Business.” Fareeha interrupted, holding the gun level.

“I'd answer her, she's a little grumpy before her morning coffee.” Angela added. The lieutenant pouted in response.

“Very well.” The stranger responded. “I am Sombra, and I could use your help Dr. Zeigler.” Sombra opened her jacket, revealing a bandage covering her abdomen. It was slick with blood. In an instant Angela snapped into doctor mode, sending Fareeha bounding off for the first aid kit while she helped Sombra into the house and onto the couch. Fareeha returned a moment later, to find Angela bent over inspecting the wound.

“Verdammt!” The doctor cursed, “What do you mean the bullet is still in there?!”

“I didn't exactly have time to stop at a hospital!” Sombra shot back through gritted teeth, “I was running for my life!”

“You are damn lucky this isn't infected.” Angela told her. She turned and grabbed the kit out of Fareeha's hands.

“How can I help?” the soldier asked.

“Call Lena, I need go get her to the Calgary ASAP.”

“On it.”

As Fareeha made the call Angela gently probed the wound.

“Were you followed?” She asked.

“No. Talon and Deadlock think I am going to Earth, to hide out in the crowds of some big city. The have-Ah easy there doc,” Sombra winced as Angela pulled a bullet fragment out with tweezers, “They have no idea I am here.”

“How did you manage to find this place?” Angela asked without looking up.

“Took a bit of digging. I managed to find some surveillance footage of the two of you leaving a mall, and got a good look at the plate on the car. I tracked the owner, found out what property he owned and made an educated guess that you would go to this one.”

“Hitchhiked out here?” As she spoke Angela gingerly removed another fragment.

“Yeah, on an omnic hauler carrying grain to New Geneva.” She sighed. “I'm feeling pretty light headed right now.”

“That will be the blood loss.” Angela replied, “What's your fluid intake been like in the past 24 hours?”

“Uh not great.”

Angela pursed her lips and sighed.

“Fareeha can you-”

“Make sure Lena brings your staff?” The soldier finished, “Done. She is 15 minutes out.”

“Thank you. Is-”

“Everything packed? Already on it.” The soldier threw here a cheeky grin, before returning to the bedroom to finish the packing.

“I take it you two are close?” Sombra asked when they were alone. The way she looked at Angela set off alarm bells in the doctor's head.

“What's it to you?” She replied, doing her best to keep her expression neutral.

“Information is my business doctor.” Sombra winked, “And she's quite the catch, I've never seen such an exquisite jaw line in-OW! Point taken doctor.”

Angela suppressed a smile, and held up a large fragment for Sombra to see.

“You know, we are are not so different you and I.” The hacker continued.

“What makes you say that?” Angela's tone was guarded.

“I know what happened to your parents here.”

Angela froze, and Sombra offered a sad smile.

“How is that relevant?” Angela asked after a moment.

“I lost mine in a similar way. They were colonists, just like yours. Killed in a pirate raid too, only there was no LCDF riding to the rescue.” She finished bitterly.

“I'm sorry to hear that.” Despite her distrust for the woman Angela's words were genuine. She would never wish that pain on anyone. She retrieved a small pouch of iodine from the kit to disinfect the area around the wound.

“Can I ask you something?” She said, in an effort to keep Sombra's attention off the coming pain.

“Go ahead.”

“Why tell me all this?”

“Because-dios mio that stings-I know you don't trust me. Understanding brings empathy, and empathy means we hopefully won't be trying to kill each other. I've read a lot about you doctor, and you have a strong set of morals, many of which will likely bring us into conflict. I hope that by telling you a little about myself, information that many people would pay handsomely for I might add, you will see I am on your side.” 

She met Angela's gaze. 

“There is too much at stake here for us to be fighting one another.” She said earnestly. 

Fareeha, who had overheard most of the conversation, chose this time to make her entrance.

“Then let us hope the information you gave us is accurate.” She smiled at Angela, motioning to the duffel bags in each arm, “We are all set to go. I called your uncle and let him know that we are leaving.”

“Thank you Fareeha.” Angela replied, the happy smile reaching her ears. “You seem to have thought of everything.”

The soldier shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck and mumbling that it was no trouble. Sombra watched the exchange with knowing eyes.

Angela put a fresh dressing on the wound, patching it up as best she could. The couple helped Sombra to her feet.

“There is a clearing partway down the path.” Angela explained, “It's the only place Lena can land.”

“How far?” Fareeha asked.

“No more than a hundred meters, shouldn't take too long.”

She was right. They reached the clearing with little trouble.

“Reminds me of my dad's cabin back on Earth.” Fareeha said as they waited in the cool morning air for Lena.

“Whereabouts?” Angela asked.

“Balfour, about a half hour outside of Nelson, British Colombia.”

“Ana never mentioned him.”

“As with many military kids I was an accident.” Fareeha chuckled, shrugging. “They drifted apart romantically soon after I was born, their jobs made things tough. Whenever my mom shipped out I would split the time between her brother in Cairo and my dad in Canada.”

“How did they meet?”

“Dad was a crisis negotiator with the RCMP. They met during a hostage crisis in Vancouver. Had a bit of a fling, and nine months later I appeared.” Fareeha looked at the sky as memories flooded back to her, “They stayed close, in a platonic way. Hell some years we even celebrated the holidays together. He took her disappearance hard, almost as hard as I did. Even after all those years they were still good friends.”

“At least you still have him.” Sombra said.

Fareeha gave her an unpleasant look, but didn't comment. An awkward silence descended, broken only with the arrival of the shuttle a few minutes later. They had to shield their faces as the craft threw up a cloud of dust as it landed. The side door opened and Lucio, Satya and Jesse stepped out.

“Glad to see you are in one piece.” Jesse said, tipping his hat to Sombra. The hacker looked confused.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“Jesse McCree, acclaimed bounty hunter, at your service.” He said with a flourish and a bow.

“Never heard of you.” Sombra deadpanned.

“What do you mean nev-”

"Relax Jesse, she's lost a lot of blood, and is likely passing in and out of shock." Angela cut in, "Some delirium is to be expected."

“We have more important things to deal with right now.” Satya said, “There is much to discuss with miss...Sombra. Or is there another name?”

“You can call me whatever you want chica,” Sombra replied with a wink, “Especially if you are the one who designed that encryption chip. A beautiful piece of work.”

The flirtation was so unexpected that Satya stood there stunned and blushing furiously.

“Th-thank you.” She stuttered out after a moment.

“Lets get you on board.” Lucio said, “I'm sure Dr. Zeigler will want to examine that wound with her staff.”

“Lead the way.” She said, and Angela helped her up the ramp. As they passed Satya, Sombra leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“I look forward to 'discussing' the intricacies of quantum encryption,” she purred into the officer's ear, “but maybe in something a little more...comfortable.”

She reached out and tapped her index finger on Satya's nose, making a cartoon like “Boop” as she did. The poor woman was too stunned to move, and Sombra move past her with a giggle. Jesse picked up some of the bags Fareeha had carried and followed the hacker onto the shuttle, grumbling all the while about not being recognized. Fareeha hefted the final bag and followed the bounty hunter, stopping next to Satya on the ramp.

“Everything okay ma'am?” She asked.

Satya nodded, her face still flushed.

“I wouldn't be bothered by what she said, I think she was a little woozy.” Fareeha continued.

Satya smiled and looked down, the blush on her cheeks spreading.

“Oh my god! You were enjoying that weren't you!” Fareeha exclaimed.

“I know when I'm being played.” The other woman replied, “Who says I can't have a little fun with it?”

“I'm sure you don't need me to say it, but be careful ma'am. I still don't trust her.”

“Your concern is appreciated lieutenant, but you need not worry. I know what I am doing.”

They both boarded the shuttle, and the door shut behind them. Fareeha made her way up to the cockpit.

“I see our communication officer has joined the growing list of gay disasters on this ship.” Lena quipped as she prepped for takeoff.

Fareeha laughed.

“Hey, don't laugh too much. You're number one on that list.”

“Me?” Fareeha scoffed, “A gay disaster? I haven't the slightest idea what you mean.”

“Then let me remind you.” Said a teasing voice from behind her. Angela, the source of the voice, leaned in and nibbled Fareeha's ear. The soldier gasped in surprise, and the doctor pressed her advantage by whispering something that caused Fareeha to turn very, very red.

“Okay that's enough.” Lena declared, “I have a strict 'no canoodling' policy in the cockpit unless it involves me, and as much as I like you ladies I'm promised to another.” She sighed dramatically.

“Terribly sorry.” Angela said as she took her seat, “The lieutenant and I will have to continue our 'conversation' later, won't we Fareeha?”

The soldier gulped audibly. She decided a change of subject was in order.

“So how is Sombra doing?” She asked.

“Very well all things considered. Lucio started an IV to get her fluids up. I don't want to do much more with the wound until I'm in the med bay.” She did up her harness as Sayta joined them. “Did we miss much?”

“Well we chased the ship Talon sent to intercept the data. It bugged out just before we got into firing range.”

“Sounds exciting.” Fareeha commented, sarcasm evident in her tone. Lena gently lifted the shuttle off the ground before continuing.

“Oh it was, the crew has been itching for action. Morrison finalized the plans for the raid when we got the data. You uh,” Lena hesitated.

“Go on.” Fareeha said, “It can't be that bad.”

“Well you might not like our assignment.”

“What is it?”

“Not my place to say.” Lena replied apologetically, “You should speak to the captain as soon as we get back to the ship.”

“I will.”

 

The ride to the ship was short. Once aboard Fareeha took her gear and Angela's back to their quarters while the doctor went to the med bay with Sombra.

“Swing by once you are done, and we can go to the captain together.” Fareeha said.

“Sounds like a plan.” Angela replied. They exchanged a quick peck on the lips before going their separate ways.

When Fareeha opened the door to her own quarters a wave of nauseating odor overwhelmed her. She was forced to stand outside and let the room air out for a few minutes before she could enter without gagging. The source of the smell was easily identified. A half eaten MRE and several expired yogurt cups sat on her bedside table, fermenting in her several week long absence from her room.

“I suppose this is what I get for spending every night in Angela's room.” She said to herself, before disposing of the rancid food in the nearest garbage chute. A quick text to Angela located the air freshener in the doctors room. Fareeha keyed in the code, entrusted to her after she had locked herself out of Angela's room for the third time in a single day, and retrieved the small aerosol can from beside Angela's bed. She used it liberally, and managed to mask most of the smell; However she found all of her clothes and bedding had soaked up the stench and needed to be washed. She summoned the help of a utility omnic and with its help she carried all her clothes and sheets to the officer's laundry. It was there that Angela ambushed her.

The soldier sat beside a dryer, her attention occupied by the tablet in her hands. She was so engrossed in her reading that Angela was able to creep up right behind her and contemplate her options. Deciding to be bold, Angela snaked her arms around the soldiers waist before kissing her and whispering in her ear.

“Support has arrived.”

Fareeha twitched in surprise, before leaning back into Angela's embrace.

“Hey.” Fareeha hummed happily. “All done?”

“Yup.” Angela's hands began to gently roam Fareeha's torso. “What are you reading?”

“Nothing interesting, technical manual for my Raptora suit.” She said, tilting her head to allow Angela to see the screen better. “I want to make a couple adjustments to the shoulder mounts and wings, and need to read up on it.”

“Do you do all your own modifications?”

“Yep, and most of the maintenance too.” She replied, “I prefer it that way, keeps people from messing with my stuff.”

“I do the same, especially considering the experimental nature of much of my equipment.”

“Did you really design the whole thing?”

“Yep, Torbjorn helped with some aerospace elements but the rest of it was all me.”

“That's impressive.”

“Are you saying you like smart women?” The doctor raised a sly eyebrow. She trailed a finger over Fareeha's abs. The soldier, suddenly aware of Angela's body pressed against her back, could only nod.

“Well according to the dryer we have twenty-four minutes to kill before you are free to see the captain.” Angela's fingers pressed against the fabric over Fareeha's crotch, “And I have an idea about how to spend that time.”

Fareeha fought back a moan.

“Are you-I mean it's-mmmm right there,” her head rolled back and a soft whimper escaped her lips, “Fuck, you are bold.”

“It's midweek, most people do laundry on the weekend.” Angela said, nibbling Fareeha's earlobe, “We'll have the place to ourselves.”

“Then let's have some fun.” Fareeha purred.

 

Half an hour later the couple stood outside Morrison's office, cheeks red from exertion and silly grins plastered on their faces. The couple took a moment to fix each others hair and clothes in an attempt to conceal their previous activities before they met the captain. Satisfied that they didn't look completely disheveled , Fareeha knocked on the door.

“Enter.” Was the gruff reply, and the door hissed open.

“Ah, Lieutenant Amari and Lieutenant Commander Zeigler. Good to see you in such good spirits.” The couple exchanged a knowing look as the door closed behind them. “How is Sombra doing?”

“Very well all things considered.” Angela replied, “Fortunately the bullet missed her vital organs, and the nanites will ensure a complete recovery in a few hours.”

“Glad to hear it, it would be a shame to lose her after investing this much time and effort.” Morrison continued, “How soon until I can speak with her?”

“Later this evening.” Angela said. “I don't want to push things, she's exhausted.”

“Understandable, 1700 hours sound okay?”

“1800, she's scheduled for blood work at 1710.”

“Very well.” His gaze shifted to Fareeha, as if challenging her. “Is there anything else?”

Fareeha cleared her throat.

“Has the planning for the raid progressed sir?”

The captain inclined his head.

“What role will Helix squad be playing sir?”

Morrison leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Helix squad will be playing the role of QRF/SAR.” He held up a hand to stop the protestations about to leave Fareeha's mouth. “Let me finish Lieutenant, before you give me a dose of Amari.”

Fareeha closed her mouth and stood at attention, her posture stiff and rigid.

“Helix squad bore the brunt of the fighting on Colmar and key elements,” he gestured to the couple, “Were heavily involved at Talos. You've seen more action than most ships do in a year. You and your soldiers have more than proved yourselves. That goes for Angela too.”

Angela inclined her head graciously at the compliment, and gave Fareeha's shoulder a gentle squeeze. The soldier relaxed her posture a bit.

“This isn't because of the collateral on Talos?” She ventured.

“No, of course not!”” He replied earnestly, “Fareeha it's me you are talking to. The same man who told President Hartman to fuck off when he demanded an apology over his destroyed house in the Dorian raids. I don't sideline good soldiers, and you,” he pointed his finger for emphasis, “Are the best soldier on this ship.”

“Are you playing to my ego to placate me sir?” She asked.

“Guilty as charged." He said, holding up his hands. "It always worked with Ana so I figured it was worth a shot.”

“Noted sir.”

“The rest of the crew need some action. Only the recon platoon and Helix squad have seen any out of the whole ground compliment. I want to see what the regular marines and crusaders can do.”

“Of course sir, I understand.”

“Something tells me you will be seeing plenty of action, regardless of role.” He sat back up. “Zenyatta tells me Baleroc is making excellent progress in his rehabilitation.”

“He is, but it will be at least a month before he will be fit for duty.” Angela said.

“How's the suit maintenance coming along?” He asked Fareeha, “Your after action report on Colmar mentioned several were shot up, including your own.”

“I checked in with the squad when I got aboard this morning, all suits are in fighting shape. The spare parts we received from Haven were put to good use.”

“I'm glad to see that delay produced some good.” He stood up, and the two women snapped to attention. “We will be making the jump to Darleen Prime within the hour. Transit time will be 6 hours 23 minutes. There will be a formal briefing at 1015 hours, be there and bring your NCO's and specialist Brightmoore. That is all.”

They snapped off a salute and turned to leave. Just before they reached the door the captain spoke again.

“And ladies?” They turned to face him, “Pack a lunch, this is going to be a long one.”

“The briefing or the mission?” Angela asked.

“Both.” Was the captain's reply.

 

1506 Ship Time,  
Empty Space,

 

“Exiting warp in five minutes.” Bastion's voice sounded on the bridge. Captain Morrison sat down in his chair and did up the straps.

“Sound general quarters.” He ordered.

Satya flipped a switch on her console, revealing a small button. She pressed it firmly. Immediately the lights dimmed as all the non-essential services ceased, their power diverted to more important systems. A blaring alarm sounded, inter-spaced with Bastions calm voice.

“General quarters, all hands man your battle stations.” He repeated for over a minute before the alarm ceased.

“Stations check.” Morrison ordered. Reinhardt, clad in a black spandex cat-suit instead of his normal uniform, glanced at a holo-screen. On it was a miniature version of the ship, with little lights corresponding to various stations across the ship. All the lights were green.

“All stations reporting in, green across the board.”

“Excellent, you stand relieved. Satya assume his post.”

Reinhardt saluted, and dashed off to done his armor for the impending operation. Satya took his seat, while a junior lieutenant filled her former post.

The minutes ticked by and not a word was spoken, each person alone with their own thoughts.

“Thirty seconds.” Bastion announced, “Please strap yourselves in.”

The AI counted the seconds until they dropped out of warp. Upon reaching the end of the countdown, time and space seemed to stretch for a brief disorienting moment as the ship exited warp.

“Helm, status.” The captain said.

“Beginning warp cool-down sir. Current position is in the Oort cloud of the Darleen system.”

“Excellent. Time?”

“1511 exactly sir.”

“Let's hope that virus Sombra uploaded does it's job.”

By now the ship was drifting along, mimicking the movements of a comet. Any long range scanners in the system would have a very hard time picking it out from the millions of other objects in the Oort cloud. Five minutes passed, then ten, then fifteen. At the twenty minute mark the captain spoke.

“Ping the system with our long range scanners.”

Elhara keyed the command into her console.

“Any sign of detection?” Morrison asked.

“None, they have no idea we are here sir.” The navigation officer brought up several images on the main holo-screen. “Preliminary scans indicate the compound matches the plans Sombra gave us exactly.”

The captain let out a sigh of relief.

“There are two signatures in orbit, they match the profile of Ravager class corvettes.”

“Plot a micro-jump right on top of them.” He turned to Satya. “I want the guns loaded and ready to fire before we jump.”

She nodded and began to give a series of orders to the various weapons chiefs.

“All good?”

She nodded again.

“Okay. Helm, take us in.”

There was a hum as the warp core powered up. The helms-woman slammed the throttle forward and the ship stretched before emerging a second later above the planet, less then ten kilometers from the two corvettes. The two dagger shaped ships were caught completely unawares, their vulnerable sterns facing the Calgary as she exited warp.

“Focus fire on the closest ship, all batteries fire!” Morrison ordered.

The Calgary shuddered as her guns barked to life. The massive Gauss cannons opened up, their projectiles accelerated to tremendous speeds, and punched holes through the corvette that ran the length of the smaller vessel. The Calgary's laser batteries followed suit, the long blue beams carving through the hapless corvette. It had begun to break up before the first missiles began to streak towards the battered hulk. There was a blinding flash as an explosion ripped the ship apart completely, killing all aboard.

“Switch fire to the second ship,” Morrison ordered, “Helm bring us about to heading 026.”

“Aye sir.”

The cruiser turned to starboard, allowing it to bring all forward guns to bear on the second corvette. The other vessel was trying to turn around, as all its armament was forward facing. The Calgary caught her as she reached a perpendicular angle to the cruiser's bow. The results were much the same as with the first corvette. Its shields were rapidly overwhelmed by the superior weaponry of the Calgary, and her hull was ripped apart in seconds. In a final act of desperation the corvette fired her missiles, hoping perhaps that the guidance systems might locate the larger vessel on their own. Three managed to escape the explosion that tore through the corvette's bow. Morrison watched with growing alarm as the missiles streaked in a lazy arc back around towards his ship.

“Three marks at 355!” Warned the ship's ECM officer.

The gunnery officer in charge of the Calgary's CIWS calmly tracked the projectiles progress until they entered the five kilometer range of his guns. The instant they did, rotary mini-guns emerged from hidden compartments across the cruiser's hull. Tracers lit up the space around the ship, bludgeoning the incoming missiles until they disintegrated into small fragments that bounced harmlessly off the Calgary's shields.

“Good shooting.” The captain remarked.

“Sir I'm getting multiple power spikes at several marked locations on the surface.” Satya reported.

“That will be the fighter bases. Get our birds in the air!” Morrison ordered. “And get a firing solution for those bases!”

A few seconds later the chief gunnery officer, a Pelx-Crandonian named Morlac Dunerunner, responded.

“Targets locked, awaiting orders sir.”

“Light 'em up!” The captain barked, “Helm depress bow angle by four degrees.”

“Aye sir.”

The ship adjusted its position and her main guns opened up, firing at the targets on the surface. Great flashes of light announced the impact of each projectile, annihilating the targets and throwing up massive clouds of dust.

“Rounds complete.” Morlac reported, “Targets destroyed.”

“How many fighters got airborne?” Morrison asked.

“I'm reading seven signatures, all from the southern hemisphere.” Satya told him, “They are on an intercept course, ETA is six minutes.”

“Send Wolf squadron to intercept,” he told the flight controller, “And helm take us to the shuttle launch point.”

The twelve spitfires of No15 “Wolf” squadron, their noses painted to resemble a snarling wolf, streaked past the bridge towards the planet. The captain gave the junior officer in Satya's former post a look, and the Imari turned up the volume on the radio channel the squadron was using. This allowed the bridge crew to listen in as the fighters closed with the enemy.

“Tighten up Wolf six.” The voice of the squadron leader, Erik Lofthouse, filled the bridge. “Stay close and keep an eye on your wing-man. They may be flying rust buckets, but their guns will kill you just as dead as any other.”

“I have visual.”

“Copy Wolf two,” Erik continued, “Flight one has the middle three, Flight two has the left pair and Flight three gets the right pair.”

There was a chorus of “Copy, Wolf leader.” from the pilots.

“Prepare to break on my mark.” There was a tense pause. “Break break break!”

The channel devolved into a confused mess as the dogfight broke out.

“Wolf leader Fox one.”

“Wolf seven Fox one.”

“Watch your six Wolf three, he's-”

“Wolf eleven Fox one!”

“Nice shooting Wolf three!”

“Wolf leader Fox two, Fox three.”

“Clean kills skipper!” This caused some to cheer on the bridge.

“Break left Wolf six, break left!”

“I can't see the bastard!”

“This is Wolf nine, I'm hit!”

“Wolf nine turn to heading 38, I'll cover you.”

Morrison exchanged a worried glance with Satya. Together they watched the holo-table as the dogfight played out before them.

“Wolf leader Fox four.”

“Thanks skipper, that was close.”

“This is Wolf seven, my guns have malfunctioned. I'm breaking off.”

“Wolf five, take Wolf six and cover Wolf seven and nine back to the Calgary.”

“Copy Wolf leader.”

“Calgary this is Wolf leader.”

“Copy Wolf leader.” The flight controller responded.

“All bogies accounted for. Sending four pups your way. Wolf nine lost his port engine and hydraulics, prep for hot landing.”

“Clear the hanger!” Morrison ordered, “Get everyone airborne so there is no risk of collateral damage.”

“Aye sir.” The flight controller turned back to his console. “All units, Nelson, I say again, Nelson.”

“Nelson affirmative!” Reinhardt's voice responded. At once the shuttles and strike craft poured out of the hanger on both sides of the ship. They began forming up off the Calgary's bow.

“We've got more signals sir.” Satya reported, “Looks like some shuttles from the surface are trying to make a run for it.”

“What's the status of our fighters?” Morrison asked.

“Wolf leader, status update.”

“Copy Calgary. One damaged, one with a malfunction so I have ten operational craft. Missiles are half gone, and fuel is above 90%.”

“Copy that.” The Imari turned back to the captain. “Orders sir?”

“Send them after the shuttles, the less that escape the better.”

“Wolf leader begin pursuit of any fleeing craft, clear the skies.”

“Copy Calgary. What about our escort mission?”

Morrison answered this time.

“It's done. Those were the only fighters they had. Red Fox squadron's Thunderbirds can handle the rest.”

“Rodger that, Wolf leader out.”

The flight commander looked up at Morrison.

“Sir ground forces are formed up and awaiting orders.”

“Put our troops on the ground.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man Symbra is fun as fuck to write hahaha. The next couple chapters are gonna be action heavy so hold onto your butts! As always thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> ps Updates might slow a little for then next month or so. Rugby season is starting here in Canada and the team I coach has tryouts this week. Normally that wouldn't be an issue buuuuuuut Mass Effect Andromeda comes out in about a week so most of my spare time will be devoted to seducing hot aliens (and Cora jfc she is stunning)
> 
> pps I hope the spanish not terrible, it's been 8 years since the rudimentary courses in school
> 
> ppps Some of the more keen eyed among you will have noticed that I removed the widowtracer tag. It's been 15 chapters and no practical way for me to work it into the plot yet so i feel it's unfair to keep the tag. I'm not saying widowtracer is off the table, I still want to work it in somehow, but it wont be for quite some time
> 
> pppps so as of today (march 14th) I've gone back and edited all previous chapters to get rid of silly mistakes, things like your instead of you're, missing commas or capitals and stuff like that. Chapters 6 and 7 received the most changes, as i flipped back and forth between passive and active voices far too much. Overall they should read smoother but there is no overall change to the story or anything like that


	17. As I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time!
> 
> Warning: The following chapter has violence, gore and death, just a heads up.

“Nelson, I say again, Nelson!”

“Nelson affirmative!”

“That's our queue!” Lena declared, throttling up the Slipstream. 

Fareeha tightened her grip on her helmet and looked back from the cockpit. A platoon of forty marines sat in the main hold. Their commander, a one-eyed Anthanebian named Dervon Crucius, stood up.

“Load n' lock people!”

There was a series of metallic clacks as fresh magazines were loaded into pulse rifles. Several shifted uncomfortably, their armor clanking as they brushed up against one another. Each marine was clad in a suit from head to toe made from a combination of ceramics, lightweight alloys and Kevlar weave. While it didn't provide the same level of protection as the Raptora suit, it was much lighter and offered much more freedom of movement. It was also far less expensive, and was very popular with the troops, and customization was encouraged. The color varied with the mission, as the suits were painted before each mission to match the expected combat environment. In this case they were painted a mixture of reds and browns, the surface of Darleen Prime resembling that found on Mars.

The interior of the shuttle was rather cramped. In addition to the forty marines seated in the main hold, there were also four of Reinhardt's crusaders. Their massive suits of armor towered over the marines. They wielded massive jet powered hammers, and had a wrist mounted energy shield projector. They stood be the doors, still as statues despite the shaking of the shuttle as it began to take off. In addition to the marines and crusaders, the twelve members of Helix squad were also aboard. The Slipstream's engines strained against the extra weight, causing Lena to frown.

“C'mon girl, you can do it.” She said, giving the dashboard an affectionate rub.

Fareeha focused her attention on the console in front of her. Because there was no room in the cargo-bay, Helix squad was stuffed into the normally spacious forward section around the cockpit. Norman and Jorix were in the detachable gunner pods outside the two side doors while Kip manned the rear gun. As on their trip to Talos, Darys was acting as co-pilot and Delyinn manned the comms. Angela and Fareeha shared the navigators seat immediately behind Lena. Angela was discovering just how poor of a pillow a Raptora suit made, and Fareeha had almost been stabbed in the face by Angela's wings with every jolt the shuttle made.

“All wings form up.” Called a voice over the comms.

“Copy Red Fox leader.” Lena replied. She eased the Slipstream into the growing formation of craft off the bow of the Calgary. The twelve Thunderbird gunships of No342 “Red Fox” squadron formed up in a tight V. The six Manta class shuttles carrying the marines, the Slipstream included, formed a smaller V inside it. The lead gunship angled towards the planet, and the rest of the formation followed suit.

“Okay people loosen up.” Red Fox leader ordered, “We're passing through the debris field.”

As if on queue small bits of metal began to bounce off the hull of the shuttle. There were bodies too, a severed arm ricocheted off the windscreen. Angela murmured something under her breath. Fareeha poked her to get the doctor's attention.

“Something on your mind?” She asked.

“Seven hundred people.”

“Hm?” Fareeha gave her a confused look.

“Seven hundred people dead, in less than two minutes. I know they were terrible individuals but...” she shook her head, halo glinting under the cockpit lights, “It's a sobering thought.”

Fareeha offered a comforting squeeze of the hand in response. 

“Buckle up luvs, we are entering the atmosphere.” Lena announced.

Turbulence hit them hard, and the craft began to rock as it was buffeted by various air currents. As they neared the landing zone Lena flipped on the red light. The marines in the hold stood up and began their equipment checks. Fareeha watched through the windscreen as the gunships accelerated past them, on their way to clear the LZ.

“Two minutes!” Lena said over the intercom.

Suddenly the electronic countermeasure light came on, and an alarm blared in the cockpit. 

“Shit, they've got a lock.” Lena cursed. “Prep flares.”

Darys calmly tapped a couple of buttons on the console.

“Flares ready.”

“Jettison on my mark.” There was a tense pause. Fareeha could see the missile approaching them now, and creased her brow in genuine worry.

“Lena...” Darys started.

“Not yet.” The pilot shot back. The missile drew ever closer.

“Mark!” Lena shouted, and she jerked the shuttle hard to the left. The missile streaked past them before exploding on a flare behind the shuttle. Several marines, who had been knocked to the floor by the evasive maneuver, cursed and stood back up.

“One minute!” Lena informed them.

Tracers began to fill the air outside.

“That's quite the light show.” Delyinn remarked.

“And we are going straight into it.” Lena said, “Hold on.”

She dipped the nose, and the shuttle rapidly lost altitude. Lena hugged the ground, weaving to and fro to avoid the incoming fire.

“Slipstream taking fire!” Delyinn reported into her headset.

“Copy Slipstream, you are clear to engage.”

“Give 'em hell!” Lena shouted.

Jorix and Norman opened fire. The rhythmic sound of their guns had a reassuring effect on the marines in the hold.

“Heads down,” Dervon shouted, “Keep moving, and for fuck's sake stay behind the barriers!”

“Touchdown!” Lena announced, and the green light came on as the Slipstream jolted to a halt. Both side doors opened simultaneously. The crusaders exited first and immediately extended their barriers. The marines filed out behind them and formed up, one squad of ten for each crusader. Dervon wished Fareeha luck before stepping of to join his troops. The instant he did Lena took off and the side doors closed. Small arms fire rattled off the hull as she gained altitude, unnerving those inside.

“Slipstream assume a holding pattern at point 063.” The flight controller ordered.

“Copy that.” Lena angled the shuttle up, heading to the south of the LZ to the per-determined orbit point out of the range of the anti-air defense of the compound. Removed from the battle, their only window into what was happening was Delyinn and her radio.

“The full company is on the ground, no casualties so far.” She said.

Fareeha nodded.

“That is always good to hear.” She said.

They were soon joined by Hana's shuttle. After dropping off her platoon she took up station as the case-evac craft. The other four shuttles returned to the Calgary where their crews would remain on standby in case they were needed. They were soon joined by half of Red Fox squadron, who set up a cab rank system of air support. The other half of the squadron, having expended all their munitions in the initial strikes, headed back to the Calgary to re-arm.

“All platoons advancing” Delyinn reported. “They are closing on the outer bunkers.”

The marines advanced on the compound, using the protective barriers provided by the crusaders to shield them from the heavy fire put out buy the pirates in the outer bunkers and trenches. Once they had closed to within one hundred meters the marines took cover as the barriers ran out. They began to return fire at the pirates, and soon had them cowering in their trenches thanks to the superior firepower provided by the marines advanced weaponry. Using the covering fire provided by their comrades, several sections rushed forward and stormed the defenses. All the pirates in the outer works were killed or captured in the short action that followed, and miraculously there were no marine casualties.

Eager to take advantage of the momentum, Reinhardt ordered the troops onward towards the inner defenses of the compound itself. The plan was simple. Two platoons, No. 2 and No. 3, would hit the south-west and south-east corners respectively. This would tie down the defenders, forcing them to commit what reserves the had to repulse the two pronged assault. Once this happened No. 1 platoon, supplemented by the recon platoon and heavy weapons platoon, would strike directly from the south towards the main gate.

“Prep QRF.” Came the order over the radio, “Be prepared to insert once the main gate has been breached.”

“Copy that.” Fareeha replied. She turned to the squad. “Look alive people, start gear checks.”

Gear check completed Helix squad began the most nerve-wracking part of any operation, the waiting. Each was left to their own thoughts. Some fidgeted, checking and rechecking key pieces of gear. A couple bobbed their heads in time a silent rhythm. A select few, Kip and the two Anthanebians, moved their mouths in silent prayer. The almighty had never appealed to Fareeha, but she could respect how some found god, or gods, in a foxhole. For her own part she did as she had always done, fingers idly tracing the intricate patterns on her weapon while she repeated the words of a poem well known to her family, the story Al Fundalawi, an old man who heroically defied the crusaders invading his home. Beside her Angela stared at the wall, lost in thought.

Back at the compound, No. 2 and 3 platoons began their advance. The ran into a hail of fire, halting the forward movement as quickly as it started. The troops took cover behind whatever they could find. No.1 platoon's advance, now unsupported, was called off. The first casualties of the operation were suffered at this point.

“No. 2 platoon reporting three casualties.” Delyinn said. Every head in the shuttle turned in her direction.

“Who?” Angela asked, “And how bad?”

“McPherson, Baird and T'kla.” Delyinn replied. “No word on how bad.”

Angela began to pace, and Fareeha resumed her impatient fiddling. No. 3 platoon soon reported casualties of it's own. Two Anthanebians were wounded when the boulder they were crouched behind took a direct hit from a rocket. Three of their comrades became casualties themselves trying to reach the wounded pair.

“We can't move.” David Garrant, No. 3 platoon's commander, reported. “And they are picking us off one by one.”

“What's the hold up?” Fareeha asked Delyinn, “They have crusader barriers, they should be able to move behind those.”

"It sounds like the pirates are using their rapid fire AAA against the barriers.” She told the lieutenant. “The high rate of fire is overwhelming the barriers in seconds.”

Both platoons put out calls for air support. Reinhardt belayed it.

“The AAA will shred the Thunderbirds before they get in range.” He said. Aleksandra Zarynova, the weapons platoon commander, proposed a solution.

She ordered the mortars to deploy, and to begin shelling the gun positions. The 82mm projectiles would not do much damage to the guns themselves; However they would force the crews to take shelter or become casualties, giving the gunships a window of opportunity to launch strikes. The first pair, Red Fox one and two, detached from the cab rank and approached the compound. Fareeha watched from the side door of the slipstream, expecting the guns to open up and tear the gunships apart. The moment never came though, the mortar barrage did its job. Each Thunderbird unleashed a hail of rockets that vaporized the AAA emplacements on the western side of the compound.

With shouts of “Death and Glory!”, the soldiers of No. 2 platoon leaped to their feet and surged forward. As they renewed their assault two more gunships, Red Fox three and four, detached from the cab rank to hit the eastern side of the compound. Red Fox three gave the Slipstream a little waggle of the wings just before peeling off. Angela's keen eyes caught a subtle interaction between the pilots as well. The flamboyant redhead who piloted Red Fox three threw Lena a suggestive look, her index and middle fingers forming a 'V' over her mouth. Her tongue darted out between the fingers and she winked at Lena. Angela smirked as the shuttle pilot's face turned beat red, and she decided a little payback for the hallway incident was in order.

“Who was that Lena?” Angela asked innocently.

“Uh nobody.” The flustered pilot replied, desperately trying to avoid eye contact with Angela.

“Uh huh, does this 'nobody' have a name?”

“Emily!” Fareeha shouted from the side door, “Her name is Emily!”

As Angela continued to tease Lena, Fareeha tracked the progress of the two gunships as they closed on the compound. Red Fox three loosed its rockets and began to turn away when two missiles streaked up from within the cluster of buildings. The Thunderbird popped flares and banked sharply, dodging the first missile. Unfortunately that put it directly in the path of the second. It connected with the gunship, blowing the port engine off in a fiery explosion. Fareeha watched, eyes wide in disbelief, as Red Fox three arced towards the ground, trailing inky black smoke. A panicked voice sounded over the emergency channel, which meant it was heard in every craft and headset.

“Red Fox three is hit, she is hit!”

“Red Fox three, mayday mayday I am hit!”

“NO!” Lena cried from the cockpit, watching in horror as the gunship began to spiral out of control.

“I'm going down, repeat Red Fox three is-” The line went dead, replaced with static. Fareeha lost sight of the stricken craft in the cloud of dust thrown up when it impacted on the surface. The lack of explosion was a good sign, and she listened intently with bated breath. There was a silence on all frequencies for a long tense moment.

“Red Fox three do you copy?” The calm voice of the flight controller brought everyone back to reality. “Red Fox three do you copy?”

A loud burst of static was the only response.

“Red Fox three do you copy?” The FC asked again.

“C'mon!” Lena urged from the cockpit, “C'mon Emily, answer!”

Another burst of static, but this time there was a garbled series of words. A sliver of hope was rekindled.

“Say again Red Fox three, did not copy.”

“Alive-can't feel-under fire!” Was all the listeners could make out. It was enough.

Lena hooted in triumph from the cockpit. Fareeha wasted no time, they had to get down there before the pirates got to the crew.

“Calgary this is Pharah, requesting permission to insert at the crash site.”

“Copy Pharah, relaying request.”

A tense moment passed, Fareeha's mind filled with images of pirates overrunning the crash before she got a response.

“Pharah this is the captain,” Morrison's voice was calm, but it had a steely edge in it that Fareeha had never heard before, “What are you requesting?”

“Requesting permission to insert on the crash site, set up a perimeter, and stabilize any survivors for case-evac sir.” She replied urgently.

“Copy that.” There was a pause as Morrison mulled over her words. “You understand what you are asking?”

“Yes sir.” She replied impatiently, they were wasting time.

“And you understand I cannot guarantee when support will arrive, if at all?” He asked, “Hell I can't even guarantee a case-evac if they have more of those missiles.”

“I do sir.”

There was another pause, and Fareeha exchanged a look with Lena. The pilot's face was pleading.

“Do it.” Morrison finally said, “And godspeed.”

Fareeha gave Lena a small nod, and the pilot immediately took action. Fareeha was thrown to the floor as the shuttle jerked violently. Lena banked the Slipstream sharply and dove low to the ground. Fareeha struggled to her feet, using the wall for balance.

“Gear up!” She ordered, “Low Jump!”

Saleh put his helmet on and took a deep breath. The rest of the squad, Angela included, stood up and made their way to the starboard door.

“What's the plan?” Saleh asked.

“Our primary objective is to secure the crash site. The compound is to the west, and will be the direction from which the enemy is expected. You,” She pointed at Saleh, “Secure the north-west with your section and Tariq,” she pointed at the shorter man in his amethyst suit, “Will secure the south-west. Delyinn, Darys, Angela and myself will check on the crew and stabilize those that need it. Case-evac is likely and we hold until until all are safety extracted, am I clear.”

Nods and murmurs of affirmation greeted her. Norman raised his hand, which Fareeha acknowledged with a nod.

“Any idea on the time-frame ma'am?”

“No.” She replied, “But nobody gets left behind, dead or alive. We stay as long as is required to fulfill that duty.”

“Thirty seconds!” Lena shouted.

Fareeha, her rocket launcher secured in between her shoulders, gripped the bars on either side of the door in preparation. At the fifteen second mark the door opened, and her face was buffeted by the air swirling around the craft. She could hear the sounds of battle over the noise of the Slipstream's engines as it flew to the crash site. They were low to the ground, no more than twenty meters up, and a quick glance rearward revealed the cloud of dust being kicked up behind them. 

Suddenly the light went green, and Fareeha launched herself out of the door in a controlled tumble. Her body completed one somersaulted in the air before her jets activated. Her decent rapidly slowed and her feet touched down on the red earth mere seconds after leaving the shuttle. Her eyes scanned the area, analyzing it with a tactical mind.

She had touched down several meters from the downed gunship. Red Fox three was largely intact, leaving a long black skid mark on the ground. Small pieces of the Thunderbird were scattered along its length, as well as the area around its final resting place. There were two small clusters of rock between the crash and the compound, and Fareeha recognized their importance right away. They needed to move fast, she could already see pirates heading towards them from the compound in the distance. It was only a matter of minutes before they would be on top of them.

“Saleh, take your section and set up behind that rock,” she pointed to a large granite boulder to the north-west, “And start shooting as soon as they get in range.”

The corporal nodded and gestured to his fire team. Norman, Jorix and Kip rushed after him.

“Tariq-”

“South one, on it!” The corporal cut in. Edric, Krass, Kodlak and Vorax followed him towards a series of boulders to the south-west. Almost as soon as they reached it a shot rang out, the familiar sound of Kip's rifle shattered the relative calm.

“Contact west!” Saleh shouted. Kip fired two more times in quick succession, and the skull of two more pirates were vaporized. The remainder went to ground for the moment, but Fareeha knew they would renew the assault shortly.

“Pharah!” Angela's voice drew Fareeha's attention. “I need a hand, if you can spare it.”

“Copy, on my way.” She dashed over to the cockpit where Darys and the doctor were gathered. Delyinn followed close behind, updating the Calgary on their progress. A grim sight awaited the pair when they reached the front of the gunship. The force of the landing had shattered the glass of the canopy, and crumpled the nose like a tin can under a boot. Inside, the two pilots were in a bad state. The layout of the Thunderbird meant that the copilot/chief gunner sat in front and below the pilot, a setup not changed since the helicopter gunships of 20th century Earth. This meant that the copilot/chief gunner took the brunt of the impact. The young Imari had both legs crushed under his control console, which folded like an accordion under the force of the impact. He was barely breathing, bright blue plumage stained red with blood where the glass had cut his face and head. Darys was talking to him in the calm gentle tones of the Imari language, all the while prepping her cutting torch to begin dismantling the cockpit. Angela wasn't able to do much for him until the cockpit encasing much of his body was removed, so she concentrated her efforts on the less badly injured pilot. 

Because she sat higher up and further back, Emily was in much better condition. Her face had been cut by the glass and one of her arms hung loosely at her side, but she was alert and talking to Angela.

“How are you feeling?” Fareeha asked.

“Peachy.” The pilot responded. She grit her teeth as Angela adjusted her slack arm. “I can't feel my legs.”

“Shoulder is dislocated.” The doctor said, “And I think her spine is broken. I can't risk moving her in this state. Same goes for him.” She jerked her head in the direction of the Imari.

Fareeha cursed in Arabic and turned to Delyinn. 

“Get on the horn and let control know we have critical casualties, and that moving them is a no-go.”

The radio woman nodded, but her focus was not on Fareeha. Fareeha followed her gaze and was greeted by another grim sight. The body of the starboard gunner was crushed underneath the gunship. Barely a quarter of the Anthanebian's body was visible. The parts that could be seen were a bloody shamble.

“Del, did you hear me?” Fareeha asked. The specialist turned back to her, eyes wide, and gave a small nod.

“Deal with it later marine.” Fareeha said, “He's dead, noting you can do about that. But they,” she pointed to the wounded pair in the cockpit, “Are not, and they need our help. You read me?”

“Yes ma'am.” Delyinn replied, “Sorry, I didn't mean to lose focus.”

Fareeha shrugged and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“War is hell.” She said, “But it's what you do right now that really matters.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Fareeha turned back to Angela.

“You needed my help?”

“We are missing the port gunner. I need to know if they are alive or not, and if they need assistance.” The doctor said while carefully inspecting a cut on Emily's forehead.

“I'll have a look around but if the pirates start poking the perimeter I need to be with my troops.”

“Of course.” Angela gave her a small smile. “I appreciate the help.”

Fareeha returned the smile.

“Anything for you habibti.”

“Oh my god you two,” Emily groaned, “I see that Lena wasn't kidding.”

Fareeha chuckled, before activating her jets to jump over the gunship. She did a quick scan of the starboard side to make sure the gunner wasn't pinned like the one on the port side. There was no trace of the soldier, so Fareeha activated her jets again and gained some altitude. She scanned the area around the crash but found no trace of the missing soldier. She retraced the Thunderbird's path, moving up the skid mark on the ground. She found what she was looking for about halfway along the trail. 

“Possible casualty, forty mikes south of the crash site.” She reported, “Moving to investigate.”

“Copy that.” Was Saleh's reply, “They appear to be holding back for now.”

Fareeha dropped down next to the body, or what was left of it. The human was missing everything below the waist, and his blood was pooling on the ground around him. Amazingly he was still alive, coughing up blood when Fareeha landed next to him. She set her rocket launcher down on the ground and knelt down next to him. He reached out and she took his hand in her own, somewhat surprised at the strength of his grip.

“Easy now.” She said, trying not to look at the bloody mess below his torso.

“I'm sorry ma'am.” He choked out, “I screwed up.”

Fareeha took off her helmet, setting it down on the ground next to her launcher. She leaned in closer, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He was dying, and she knew there was nothing Angela would be able to do to save him so she decided to comfort him in his last moments.

“Shhh it's okay.” She said in a soothing voice, “That strike save a lot of lives.”

His free hand fumbled with a pocket on his flight suit.

“What's your name?” She asked as she helped him oped the pocket.

“Diego.” He said, coughing again. “Gunnery chief Diego Campos.”

He pulled a small photograph out of the now open pocket. He gazed at it fondly for a moment, before thrusting it into Fareeha's hand.

“You tell-” Another fit of coughing wracked his broken frame. He spat a globule of blood out of his mouth, spattering his chest and Fareeha's face. “You tell my wife that I-” He coughed again, more blood spilling out and dribbling down his chin, “That I love her.”

Fareeha nodded, trying to keep composed.

“Promise me.” He pleaded.

“I promise.” Fareeha vowed, “I will tell her myself.”

She offered him a sad smile.

“I only...” He coughed again, spattering Fareeha's breastplate with blood and saliva, “Wish that...that I-”

He went limp in her arms, his head rolling to the side. Fareeha checked his pulse.

He was dead.

She folded his arms across his chest before gently closing his eyes. She looked at the photo he had given her. It was of him, sitting arm in arm with a beautiful young woman. He was kissing her cheek, and his wife was giggling in surprise. She had to take a moment to compose herself before she donned her helmet.

“Starboard gunner is dead.” Her tone was emotionless, the words clipped. She was back in soldier mode. “I'm on my way back.”

Fareeha picked up the body, doing her best to keep the blood and gore off her suit, and flew back to the crash. She placed Diego next to the crushed body of the port gunner and went to see Angela. The doctor gave her a concerned look.

“Were you hit?” Angela asked, motioning to the blood on Fareeha's face and suit.

Fareeha ran an armored hand over her cheek and was surprised by what she found. She hadn't noticed the blood.

“It's not mine.” The soldier replied with the clipped tone from before. She pointed to Diego's body. “It's his.”

Angela peered past her to the body. Her face fell and she sighed. She tried to meet Fareeha's eyes but the soldier refused to meet her gaze. Instead she looked to where her squad was preparing to meet the attack everyone knew was coming,

“Hey.” Angela said gently, bringing Fareeha's gaze back to hers. “Talk to me.”

“I'm fine.” The lieutenant said. Angela didn't look convinced. “Later.”

“I'll hold you to that.” Angela replied.

“I know you will.” Fareeha offered her a smile, which Angela happily returned. “I should get back to them, unless you need anything else?”

“I think I can manage with just Darys.” Angela replied.

“Looks like I miss out again.” The Imari joked. “Lucky me.”

“Keep an eye on the doc for me.” Fareeha told her, “She has a knack for getting into trouble.”

“Oh please, look who is talking.” Angela retorted. This earned a laugh from all in earshot, even the Imari gunner, who had to be in an incredible amount of pain.

Fareeha shook her head and laughed.

“Traitors, all of you.” She joked, before jumping to the ground.

“Lieutenant?” Angela called after her.

“Yes?”

“Be careful.”

“You know me.” Fareeha chuckled.

“That's what I'm worried about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhhhhhhhhh updates woowoo. Mass Effect Andromeda is great, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. There are issues with it, but overall I'm really enjoying it. The only downside is that it's sucking all my free time, hence the slower updates haha. Anyways thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ps I hope I got the spelling right for Fundalawi, it's been several years since I watched the documentary on the crusades that mentioned it and for the life of me I could not find it on the internet when I tried to recently so apologies if I messed that up.


	18. Hang Tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for an update!
> 
> Warning: The following chapter contains scenes with graphic violence, the usual combat stuff. Just a heads up!

Angela had never enjoyed QRF duty. Not that she tried to get out of it, she was a soldier and she followed her orders, but she never felt like she was making a difference. Her skill as a surgeon were useless, it was far too unsanitary and hectic for anything other than the most basic of operations, and her nanites could seldom repair the damage to the patients she encountered in this role. Like the present moment for instance.

Of the four person crew of Red Fox three, two were dead, one was trapped in his seat and barely alive while the final crew-member was so banged up that moving her in this state would only worsen her condition. All Angela could do at this point was heal the cuts and abrasions on the surface while hoping the fighting died down enough to get her specialist team from the med-bay down to help her. It was going to be hours before Emily and her co-pilot, if he lived that long, were likely to be extracted and that was only after a lot of engineering and medical work. 

Darys had begun to remove bits of the cockpit around the two pilots, but her small cutting torch was not powerful enough to remove many sections. Thunderbird gunships had heavy armor, surrounding the pilots in a 'bathtub' of hardened alloys, their role as fire support craft necessitated this. While it meant the pilots were very well protected from enemy fire, it also meant that heavy duty gear was needed to cut or bend the twisted metal encasing the pilots. They also had to be careful not to remove too much of the offending metal too quickly, or the Imari would be killed by a sudden rush of carbon dioxide filled blood to the brain when the pressure on his legs was lifted.

Getting Emily out was going to be a challenge as well, one wrong move and she could be paralyzed from the waist down. Unfortunately the fighting showed no signs of stopping, in fact judging by the lines of worry creased onto Fareeha's forehead it was about to get a lot worse.

“Contact north!” Saleh shouted. His headset was only partially working, the side effect of a bullet glancing off his helmet and shattering his visor.

“Copy,” Fareeha replied, “Del get a bird on them.”

“Airspace is still closed.” The radio-woman replied, “No case-evac, no air support.”

“Shit.” Fareeha swore. She looked into the distance, brain searching for a solution.

“See if you can raise Zarya on the coms.” She said. “Her mortars will substitute for an air strike just fine.”

“Bagration this is Helix two over.” Delyinn said calmly into her headset. “Bagration this is Helix two, do you copy, over.”

As Delyinn tried for a third time to raise the weapons platoon Tariq sounded over the squad's closed network.

“Contact south-west, they are flanking us!”

“Copy.” Fareeha replied calmly, “I'll handle then.”

“Alone? Chief you sure?” Tariq asked, hid voice unsure.

“I will handle them corporal, you look to your front.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Fareeha turned back to Delyinn.

“Any luck?” She asked. The blonde shook her head.

“Not yet.” Delyinn replied.

“Keep trying.” Fareeha told her, “When you get through start dropping rounds on the northern group.”

“Yes ma'am.” Delyinn gave her a two fingered salute before resuming her calls on the radio.

Angela watched as Fareeha double checked her launcher, clearly about to take off. The doctor looked back at her patients and weighed her options. She quickly made up her mind.

“Need a hand?” She asked, standing up. Fareeha raised an eyebrow, pointing to the cockpit.

“What about th-”

“They are stable, not much more I can do until my team arrives.” She said, cutting the soldier off. “Besides, if we get overrun none of that will matter.”

“Fair enough.” The soldier replied. She gestured to the sky. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way.” Angela answered.

Fareeha activated her jets, shooting into the sky. Angela was close behind, the wings of her suit fully flared. She kept her eyes trained on the soldier in front of her, ready to react at a moments notice. Fareeha motioned with her hands, indicating she wanted Angela to follow close behind.

“Going low.” She said over the radio.

“I'll be right beside you.” Angela replied. She flicked a switch on her staff and it whirled to life. A blue aura soon surrounded Fareeha, and the soldier tipper visor in response.

“Break!” Fareeha shouted. She rolled over, cut the engines, and dove towards the ground. Angela tucked her wings in and followed Fareeha, keeping her staff aimed at the black jackal in front of her. Angela's hands involuntarily tightened their grip on the Caduceus staff as she neared the ground. Her stomach was several hundred meters behind, but the rush of adrenaline meant she didn't notice. In fact she had actually never felt more alive than right now, free falling several hundred feet off the ground behind her partner. A flicker of movement drew her eye and she could see a line of figures dashing across the red dirt below her.

“Now!” Fareeha ordered over the radio. Angela flared her wings, feeling her suit strain to halt her decent.

“Rocket barrage incoming!” Fareeha shouted. The shoulder panels on her suit blew open and emptied themselves of rockets. Angela watched as they streaked towards their targets, obliterating them in a series of explosions. What she didn't see was the sniper lining up a shot at the two of them. There was a deafening crack, and Angela's heart dropped out as Fareeha careened wildly as a high velocity round struck her suit.

“Chief are you okay?!” Tariq called from below over the radio.

“I'm fine, worry about your section.” Fareeha replied tersely. She signaled to Angela that she was returning to the crash sight. The doctor terminated the beam from her staff and followed. She studied Fareeha's shoulder as they flew, trying to ascertain if it had been injured. From her vantage i looked as if the bullet had lodged in the armor, and missed Fareeha's body. She didn't appear to be in any pain, and Angela couldn't see blood dripping out of it. She decided to make sure by asking.

“Were you hit?” She said.

“I'm fine.” Was the reply.

Angela returned her focus to the surrounding area. To the north of the crash site she could see the tracers of Jorix's LMG lancing out and cutting down pirates attacking that position. They landed beside Delyinn. The specialist was standing at the crumpled nose of the gunship looking north. Her attention was on a group trying to outflank Saleh's section. She was watching them through a pair of binoculars, all the while talking calmly into her headset.

“Bagration I have a fire mission, grid coordinates charlie two.” She said as Fareeha moved over to her. “Approximately fifteen hostiles advancing south-southeast.”

“Copy Helix two, round incoming.” Was the reply.

There was a distant crump, followed a second later by a small explosion to the north, near the advancing pirates.

“Left fifteen.” Delyinn reported, correcting the aim based on where the spotting round fell. There was another crump, and this time the round fell right in the middle of the approaching group.

“Range is good.” Delyinn told the battery commander, “Five rounds, HE, fire for effect!”

Each mortar in the four gun battery now fired five rounds, blanketing the target area with high explosives. The pirates didn't stand a chance, they were cut down in seconds.

“Rounds complete.” The battery commander said.

“Good shooting.” Delyinn replied, “Targets eliminated.”

“Nice work.” Fareeha said, clapping the specialist on the shoulder, “Keep 'em coming. Nail any group that tries to get around us.”

The soldier nodded, her binoculars still glued to the horizon. Angela made her way over to the cockpit to check on the two pilots. Darys was there, still talking to the Imari as she removed pieces of the cockpit.

“How are you feeling?” Angela asked him.

“Terrible” He croaked back.

“Well let's see what I can do abo-”

“Ma'am!” Delyinn shouted in alarm. There was the unmistakable crunch of somebody hitting the ground. Angela knew she had to check it out, but not before making sure her other two patients were not getting any worse.

“How is your pain?” She asked the Imari.

“A lot more tolerable since you gave me that nanite capsule.”

“Good.” Angela said, “Sit tight, we'll get you out of here ASAP.”

He laughed at the joke as she made her way to Emily.

“How are you feeling?” She asked as she took the pilots vitals.

“”I can wiggle my toes!” The pilot reported excitedly.

“Good to hear.” Angela said, glancing at the pilots feet. She could see the toes of Emily's boots moving. “Don't over exert yourself, rescue is still a ways away.”

The pilot nodded as Angela finished her exam.

“Stay put.” Angela told her, “I'll be right back.”

Angela hopped out of the cockpit, lending on the ground next to Delyinn. What she saw made her stomach drop out. Delyinn was knelt down next to the prone figure of Fareeha. She had collapsed on the ground next to the gunship. Angela helped Delyinn prop up the unconscious lieutenant against the side of the Thunderbird. Angela at once saw the problem, Fareeha had indeed been hit. There was a large hole in her shoulder guard which was leaking blood onto the jet black exterior of her suit.

“I'll handle this.” Angela told Delyinn, “You get back to your post.”

“Rodger that.” Delyinn said. She stood up and spoke into her headset. “Helix actual is down, repeat Helix actual is down.”

As when Red Fox three was shot down the net went silent for a moment.

“Copy Helix two, status?”

“Uh..” Delyinn turned back to Angela, who was probing the wound with a gloved finger.

“She'll live.” Angela said.

“Just a flesh wound.” Delyinn reported.

“Copy that, Helix two.”

Angela's probing eventually brought Fareeha out of her unconscious state. Her eyes popped open and darted around in alarm. They met Angela's for a brief second before darting away.

“You are in big trouble.” Angela said sternly.

“I'm fine.” She tried to shrug Angela off, but the pain in her shoulder was too intense to do more than twitch.

“I don't think having a hole in your shoulder counts as fine.” Angela replied. “You passed out.”

“Just a little dizzy.”

Angela raised an eyebrow.

“Okay okay, I'm not fine.” She murmured. An explosion cut off the second half of her sentence.

“What was that last bit?”

A string of unintelligible words flowed from the lieutenants mouth.

“Couldn't hear you.” Angela said.

“I said I'm sorry.”

“You did what any stubborn soldier would do.” Angela shrugged. “I'm used to it by now.”

She gave Fareeha a warm smile. Reaching into her utility belt, she pulled out a pair of needle nosed pliers and a flashlight.

“Your mother once tried to hide a piece of shrapnel the size of my fist.” She chuckled at the memory, before leaning in. She turned on her staff, and a green aura soon encased the soldier, helping to dull the pain of the impending task. “This will sting a bit, but I need you to keep still.”

Fareeha nodded and gritted her teeth. Angela entered the hole with the pliers and began to carefully remove the fragments of bullet and armor.

“Where was it?” Fareeha asked.

“Where was what?” Angela replied, keeping her eyes focused on the wound. By now the blood was coating the chest-plate of Fareeha's suit. Fareeha was not squeamish, but the sight of her own blood was always unnerving. She grunted as Angela pulled out a particularly jagged fragment.

“Her ass.” Angela said.

“What!?” Fareeha sputtered.

“She was trying to pass it off as a piece of her utility belt.”

Fareeha was now giggling uncontrollably.

“What's so funny?” Angela pulled out the final fragment, and gave Fareeha a puzzled look.

“You touched-”

“Jorix is down!” Saleh's panicked cry cut her off.

“Shit.” Fareeha said, “Go.”

Angela hesitated.

“Her LMG is the only thing keeping the north group from being overrun.” Fareeha said firmly. “We need her up.”

Angela took a deep breath and nodded. She pointed her staff at Fareeha's wound and healed it just enough to stop the bleeding.

“Stay safe.” Fareeha said. “And te-”

Angela cut her off with a passionate kiss.

'This is Mercy, I'm on my way.” She said, leaving a flustered Fareeha staring after her. Her suit propelled her towards Saleh's position. Her flight pattern was erratic, bobbing and weaving to dodge incoming fire.. She arrived to find Saleh struggling to hold Jorix down. The Savix'qast was thrashing about, flinging globules of sticky orange blood in all directions. Her machine gun lay discarded, the sights battered and covered in blood.

“What happened?” Angela asked, rushing to aid the corporal.

“She took a round to-” He swatted an arm away from his face, “The head. Seemed okay until she started thrashing around. Almost took my eye out.”

Angela knew immediately what to do. She reached for a small vial in her belt. She loaded it into a syringe and jabbed the thrashing soldier in the neck. Jorix went limp almost instantly.

“What did you do?” Saleh asked.

“Savix'qast release a potent pheromone when injured. It triggers their fight or flight response, and they lash out at all aliens.” Angela explained. “Not unlike ants swarming when one is killed near the colony. I gave her an injection of calming pheromones, which will calm her down for the moment.”

“I'll let you do your thing.” He said, picking up the discarded machine gun. “Holler if you need anything.”

He immediately out the weapon to good use, gunning down a group of pirates trying to rush the position. Angela got to work. Jorix had indeed been hit in the face, the bullet had severed one of her eye stalks. It was quickly apparent that this was the only injury. She used her staff to stop the bleeding, but was careful not to do too much. Savix'qast are capable of regenerating lost appendages in around two weeks. If she healed the wound too much the stalk would not regenerate properly, or even fail to grow at all.

Back at the crash site things were just as chaotic. Despite Delyinn's best efforts, several pirates had succeeded in getting around to the rear and attacking the crash site from the east. Darys had to stop cutting in order to return fire. Emily was shooting as well, spraying bursts from her sub machine gun as the pirates tried to close on the crash. Felling useless where she was, Fareeha stood up to help. Or she would have if her suit hadn't seized up. The bullet had jammed her shoulder joint and the operating system crashed when it couldn't fix the problem. Cursing the engineer who designed the suit, she listened with growing frustration as Darys and Delyinn tried desperately to defend the injured pilots.

“Fuck this!” She yelled at no-one in particular, and pounded the ground with her working hand.

“Everything okay ma-”

Delyinn was cut off by a screech.

“Shit Darys is hit!”

“Plug it, I'm coming over.” Fareeha ordered.

“Aren't you still-”

“I'm fine!” Fareeha shouted. She pried open her chest-plate with her working hand, and pulled the emergency release latch. Her suit fell off her body in a jumbled heap. She cried out as the the shoulder guard dragged across the open wound on her shoulder. She got to her feet, clad only in her black spandex cat suit and armed with her pistol, and ran to the other side of the gunship. Delyinn was kneeling over Darys, hands pressed to a wound in the Imari's thigh.

“Mercy we nee you back at the crash site,” Fareeha said. Her headset came separate from her helmet, which had been left with the rest of her suit. “Darys is hit bad.”

“Be there in a minute.” Angela replied, “Jorix needs an evac, preferably before the calming pheromones wear off.”

“Copy that.” Fareeha turned to Delyinn. “Del, call for a urgent case-evac, I'll take over with Darys.”

She took over Delyinn's position and pressed down on the wound. Delyinn had already removed the leg-plate, allowing Fareeha to use both hands in applying direct pressure until Angela arrived. The wound in her shoulder acted up as she pushed down and she grit her teeth, knowing that slacking the pressure could cause the Imari below her to bleed out.

Delyinn, after wiping her hands as best she could, was calling for an evac.

“We have a lot of casualties right now,” was the response, “And the airspace is still closed. Looking at another half hour before it opens up again.”

“We don't have that kind of time!” Fareeha shouted angrily when Delyinn told her the news. Angela arrived at that moment.

“What are-” Angela started when she saw Fareeha without her armor, “Never-mind, let me take over.”

She did, and it quickly became apparent that Angela didn't need any help. A burst of fire hit the ground near the doctor, kicking up the red earth. They were exposed, and the pirates were starting to circle in. They needed a new plan, and fast.

“Saleh, Tariq, status.” Fareeha said.

“Not great, we're barely holding on.” Saleh said.

“Can you hold?” Fareeha asked.

“Well if we-”

“I want a no-bullshit assessment. Can you hold?”

There was a pause, and Fareeha emptied a clip into two Anthanebians trying to rush the crash site. The recoil sent shock-waves through her body, aggravating the pain of her wound.

“No.” Saleh finally said, his voice downcast. “Without Jorix my section is spread too thin. There are simply too many of them.”

“I can't figure out where they are coming from, there can't be any of them left in the compound at this rate.” Tariq chimed in, “It seems like they are all out here.”

“If Saleh falls back you will have too as well.” Fareeha declared, “Otherwise you will be left hanging with your ass out.”

“What a lovely image.” Angela quipped. Fareeha ignored her for the moment, her focus was on averting the disaster she could see coming.

“Collapse back to the crash site.” Fareeha ordered, “Both of you.”

“Copy that chief.” Tariq replied.

“Copy that LT,” Saleh said, “What's the plan after that?”

Fareeha weighed her options. Calling in air support risked another gunship going down, this time without a QRF to rescue the crew. Calling in a shuttle was just as risky, as it could be shot down like a gunship. The real danger lay if the shuttle actually made it to the landing zone. Any soldier with even the most rudimentary grasp of tactics would know that trying to withdraw while being pressed by the enemy is courting disaster. Weighed down with wounded and equipment they would be massacred, overrun before the shuttle was fully loaded.

Attacking was also out of the question. The squad leader was wounded and had no suit, the LMG gunner was missing an eye, and the engineer had a hole in her leg. Turtleling over the crash sight was off the table too, they would be whittled down to nothing. In her mind there was only one possible option.

“I'm calling in a Wurtz maneuver.” She said.

“Shit, are you sure?” Saleh asked.

“I don't see any other option.”

“Copy, we'll fall back on your mark.”

“Mark.” She ordered, “Del prepare for a close in barrage, all around us.”

“Four mortars does not a barrage make.” Delyinn commented.

“Do what you can.” Fareeha told her, “I need your radio for a moment.”

Delyinn handed the phone like receiver to Fareeha.

“Calgary this is Helix Actual, support requested.”

“Copy Helix actual, what do you need?”

“My outer lines are broken, falling back to the crash site. Multiple wounded, two of which need extensive work to evac. Requesting Wurtz maneuver.”

“Say again Helix actual.”

“Requesting Wurtz maneuver.” Fareeha made sure to clearly enunciate each word.

“Pharah this is Morrison, are you serious?”

“I'm afraid so sir, unless we get air support you are looking at a Little Big Horn type situation.” She told him.

“Shit. Okay, hang tight.” He said. Then the line went dead.

“What did he say?” Delyinn asked. Angela gave Fareeha a hopeful glance.

“Hang tight.”

“That bad?” Angela asked, her face falling.

“I'm afraid so.” Fareeha said, echoing her earlier response. All other words failed her. She wanted to apologized for dragging Angela into this but found herself unable to say the words. The doctor seemed to sense this.

“Well if I am to die this day, at least it will be alongside the woman I love.”

Angela covered her mouth with her clean hand, as if startled by her own confession. Fareeha wasn't given a chance to reply as the rest of Helix squad arrived, and they brought the fight with them. Suddenly the air was alive with lead, bullets zipping and cracking in all directions. It also brought a cacophony of noise as bullets struck and ricocheted off the gunship. They took what cover they could find around the craft, propping bits of debris against rocks to substitute for proper cover. They were completely surrounded now, and the pirates began to close in.

Angela had her hands full, just as soon as she patched one soldier up another went down. Fareeha was hit a second time, this time in the left shin. She frantically waved off Angela when the doctor began to come over.

“Others need you more than me right now.” Fareeha said.

Angela nodded grimly, and rushed over to help Tariq with Jorix. The Savi'qast had been hit for a third time now, ans Angela was running out of calming pheromones to inject her with. Jorix tried to apologize for being hit again.

“It must be your magnetic personality.” The doctor joked, before closing the wound with her staff. Angela turned to Fareeha, who was sliding a magazine into her pistol. “Morrison better arrive soon, at this rate I'll run out of-”

“Grenade!” Tariq shouted with alarm. He dove over-top of Jorix, shielding her body with his own. Angela had no such luxury. In one horrible moment she locked eyes with Fareeha.

Then the grenade exploded, raining debris on those nearby.

The dust settled, revealing a grisly sight. Tariq's suit had shielded Jorix and himself from the blast, but the amethyst suit was blacked and scorched. The explosion had thrown Angela against the side of the gunship. She sat there, dazed and bleeding from multiple punctures in her suit. Fareeha hobbled over as fast as her injured leg allowed.

The doctor stirred at her approach. Fareeha knelt so they were face to face, oblivious to the bullets hitting the hull around them. Angela's eyes fluttered open. 

Fareeha leaned in and kissed her, tears streaming down her face.

“I love you too.” She said, blinking the tears away. The doctor blinked back, and took a shaky breath.

“How does you staff work? Tell me so I can get you back in action.” Fareeha said.

“No need.” Angela replied. Fareeha watched, amazed, as Angela's wounds closed by themselves, leaving no indication they had existed at all.

“Here they come!” Saleh shouted.

Fareeha gazed deep into Angela's eyes.

“Ready?” She asked the love of her life.

“Ready.” The doctor answered firmly.

“Fix bayonets!” Fareeha ordered, her voice carrying over the din of combat. There was a series of metallic clicks as the squad carried out her instructions.

Angela got to her feet, and helped Fareeha up. They turned to face the pirates advancing towards them, flush with victory. Fareeha steadied her hand, and lined up her shot at the nearest target. He was a human, his face tattooed and scarred.

“If I am to die this day, then I will take you with me.” She thought.

Suddenly there was an ear splitting roar. A shock-wave threw her to the ground, Angela landing roughly beside her. The impact knocked the breath out of her. Gasping for air, Fareeha rolled onto her back and found herself staring at a very familiar silhouette.

“Morrison you magnificent bastard!” Norman hooted.

“Give 'em hell girl!” Delyin shouted.

It was LCS Calgary. Morrison had preformed a micro-jump into the planets atmosphere and directly over-top the crash site. Panels along the underside of the ship opened up, revealing the mini-guns of the CIWS. They opened fire, dropping a literal wall of steel around the besieged squad. There were so many tracers lighting up the sky that Fareeha had to shield her eyes and look away from the spectacle. The oncoming pirates didn't stand a chance, some were hit so many times that their bodies vaporized. Angela rolled to face Fareeha.

“Now you know what Jack means by “Hang tight.”.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY THEY DID THE THING. THEY SAID THE THING wooOOooowoooOOOoo. Expect fluff and comfort in the next chapter!
> 
> I chose Bagration as the call sign of the weapons platoon because Zarya is Russian. Pyotr Bagration was a Russian general who was mortally wounded in the battle of Borodino, a pivotal event in Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Borodino is celebrated in Russian history and culture, the 1812 overture is about the battle. Bagration is also the name given to the Soviet summer offensive in 1944, a battle which completely destroyed the German Army Group Center in Belorussia (modern day Belarus) so I figured it would be a name that would resonate with Zarya. As always I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading!


	19. Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time!

 

“Yes Angela,” Fareeha moaned, “Right there!”

The doctor smiled from in between Fareeha's legs, and flicked her tongue across Fareeha's clit. This elicited a gasp of pleasure from Fareeha as she writhed underneath Angela's touch. One hand tugged on Angela's ponytail while the other frantically clawed at the sheets. Angela flicked her tongue again, and Fareeha's hips bucked in response. A string of rushed Arabic left her mouth, causing the doctor to look up and raise an eyebrow.

“Say something,” Fareeha said, her voice husky with need, “Please.”

“You don't sound like you need it that bad.” Angela teased.

“Please habibti,” Fareeha whined, “Let me hear your voice.”

Angela smirked. She fixed Fareeha with a sultry stare.

“All personnel please secure yourselves for FTL jump.” She said.

“What?!” Fareeha asked in disbelief. The doctor repeated her statement.

“All personnel please secure yourselves for FTL jump.”

Suddenly she was awake. Fareeha looked around, recognizing the familiar surroundings of her quarters. Juno was curled up at the end of the bed. Her head still groggy, she got up and made her way over to the fold out chair in the wall beside her bed. She called Juno over and strapped herself in. She picked the dog up and held her in her lap. Fareeha reached over and pressed a small button on the wall beside the chair, indicating she was secured. Across the ship the rest of the crew were doing the same. Bastion gave a countdown over the PA system. When he reached zero Fareeha heard the warp core hum to life, followed immediately by an uncomfortable stretching sensation. It lasted for less than half a second, which was all it took for the Calgary to stretch space around her and enter warp. 

The all clear sounded a few seconds later and she released Juno. The Berner scampered back onto Fareeha's bed, curling up on the warm pillow. She fixed Fareeha with a cheeky look that implied nothing would budge her from it. Fareeha shook her head and chuckled.

“Guess I'm getting up now.”

She flicked on the lights in her room and walked over to her desk. Unfortunately she failed to spot a duffel bag full of clothes that had been carelessly discarded the night before. Her foot snagged on the strap, and she tumbled over onto the floor. As she fell one of her flailing arms made contact with the chair beside her desk, knocking it over. It hit the floor right after her, with a mighty crack. The exact same sound as a high velocity bullet impacting hardened steel.

In an instant images from the battle flashed through her mind. Diego's last breath, the horrible screech as Darys was hit, and the sensation of being spun around mid-air. Her shoulder throbbed with phantom pain, and her hand clenched it out of reflex. Finding fully healed skin instead of a bloody hole snapped her back to reality. The pain subsided as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Fareeha panting on the floor, sobbing quietly. A concerned looking Juno padded over, licking the tears off Fareeha's cheeks. She took a moment to compose herself, before sitting upright and sighing.

PTSD was not new to her, as a child she had seen her mother have episodes on a frequent basis. It got to the point where that Ana could no longer walk through the open air markets of Cairo with Fareeha, something they had always done to spend time together. Crowds made her mother nervous, and the sound of a motorcycle engine backfiring made Ana visibly flinch. Fareeha hadn't understood it at first, and Ana had done her best to shield her child from it as much as possible. It was only years later, when the metallic clank of a wrench hitting the ground had left Fareeha a sweating ball underneath her workbench, that she truly understood the terrible burden. It got better with time and the occasional therapy session, but it never fully went away. The last episode had been over three years ago, when her CO on the Anubis had bled out before her eyes. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed again. A workout was in order, followed by a long, hot shower.

Fareeha quickly changed into her gym clothes and set off on a jog around the ship. It ended at the gym, which was next to the enlisted personnel mess. She quickly fell into a familiar rhythm, powering through her sets with practised ease. She paid special attention to her shoulders and lower legs, the two places she had been wounded, in order to ensure they had properly healed. Although they started out a little stiff, by the end of her routine she was confident they were fully healed. Angela would be glad to hear that.

The doctor had been absent from Fareeha's side for two days now, ever since they had boarded the Calgary in the aftermath of the battle. The last time Fareeha had seen her, Angela was handing Fareeha's treatment over to one of her subordinates. 

“It's better that way.” Angela had explained, “I'm already pushing the boundaries of professional behavior by being your field medic, so when I have the option of passing you off to a very competent subordinate I will. I hope that's okay? If not I can-”

“Angela,” Fareeha interrupted, “It's fine.” She kissed the doctor on the cheek.

“Right, okay, well.” The doctor paused, as a nurse rushed over with a tablet and handed it to Angela. Her expression fell as she read it. “I have to take care of this, we'll talk soon.”

And with that she was gone, swept away in the crowded med-bay. Fareeha had been discharged soon after. She quickly found herself with nothing to do. Her debriefing had been conducted while she was having her wounds treated, and combat reports practically wrote themselves. Fareeha knew her suit badly needed maintenance, but the thought of cleaning the blood and gore out of it made her sick at the moment. The only other task that remained was writing a letter to Diego's wife. She had already put it off for a day and a half, instead choosing to spend the time sitting outside the med-bay waiting for a glimpse of Angela. The episode this morning was the catalyst for her. The trauma of that event could only start to fade if she had closure, and closure would come from writing that letter. 

So, two days after the battle, and with the memories still playing vividly behind her eyes, she made a pot of mint tea and sat down at her desk to write it. Fareeha stared at the computer screen, the cursor blinking on a blank document, for over half an hour as she pondered how to begin. Her mind began to wander, drawn back to when she had received two very different letters of this nature. One was from the Defence Department, offering their “deepest condolences for the loss of your loved one.”. It was a direct copy of the standard next of kin notification letter given out en-mass in the Dawn War. It had only brought her anger, rather than comfort, and she had been very close to applying for a discharge. Her emotional stability only returned after the arrival of the second letter. This one was from Reinhardt and contained the comfort, compassion and companionship that had be absent from the first letter.

It was in remembering the contents of this second letter that Fareeha at last found the inspiration she had been looking for. The words seemed to flow out of her, and two hours later she had finished. She was exhausted, the emotional nature of what she was writing drained the energy from her. Fareeha had been hoping to go to the med-bay after and get Angela's opinion on what she wrote, but presently all she felt like doing was curling up into a ball and going to sleep. 

So that was what she did. Juno took her place at the end of the bed, and Fareeha gave her ears a good scratch before slipping underneath the covers. Fareeha's hands instinctively sought Angela's body only to find it absent once gain. Fareeha missed her, and not just for the warmth of the doctor's body. Right now, after such an emotionally exhausting afternoon, all Fareeha wanted was to hold Angela close.

Fareeha was jolted awake moments later by a sharp knock on her door. Still somewhat dazed, she made her way to the door and pushed the button to open it. Fareeha was surprised to see Zenyatta standing on the other side.

“Greetings lieutenant.” He said.

“What can I do for-” Fareeha yawned, “-you?”

“I have a request to make.” The medical-omnic replied. He gestured to the person at his side, which Fareeha suddenly realized was Angela. An absolutely exhausted looking Angela. “Please ensure Dr. Zeigler gets some rest. She is not to return to duty for at least forty-eight hours from-”

“Zen,” Angela interrupted, “I can't stay-”

He silenced her with a look.

“She is not to return to duty for at least seventy-two hours, by order of the captain.”

Fareeha nodded. Seemingly satisfied, Zenyatta departed. Fareeha looked back at Angela.

“My place or yours?” Fareeha asked. 

Angela's response was to latch onto Fareeha with her arms.

“Mine it is then.” Fareeha declared.

Once inside Angela gave Fareeha a kiss, smiling as their lips met.

“Mmmmm I needed that,” Angela said, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Fareeha replied, and leaned down for another kiss. This one was longer, and Angela sighed happily afterwards. 

“Even when I look like this?” Angela joked.

“Of course.” Fareeha replied. She gave the bags under the doctor's eyes a quick peck. “You look like you've been through the ringer.”

“Forty-eight hours of surgery will do that.” Angela said. 

Juno jumped off the bed to greet Angela.

“And I hope you have been keeping Fareeha out of trouble in my absence.” Angela said, detaching from Fareeha to scratch Juno's ears.

“She's been good company.” Fareeha remarked.

Angela looked around the room, which was littered with empty food containers. She raised an eyebrow.

“Writing.” Fareeha answered.

“Writing...?”

“Reports mostly.” Fareeha answered, “And a letter.”

“Oh. Who too?” Angela asked.

“The wife of one of the gunners killed on Red Fox three.”

“I see.” Angela said. “Do you mind if I...”

“Go ahead.” Fareeha replied, “I planned on asking you for feedback on it.”

Angela took a seat on the desk chair and began to read, while Fareeha watched nervously from the bed. It didn't take Angela long to finish it, the letter was under a page in length. When she had finished Angela took a shaky breath, and wiped her damp eyes.

“So...?” Fareeha ventured apprehensively.

“This is really sweet.” Angela said eventually, “Very moving.”

Angela got up and walked over too Fareeha. She pulled the soldier into a big hug.

“Thank you for letting me read it.” She said, her voice choked with emotion, “It was just what I needed.”

“Rough day?” Fareeha said. Angela nodded. “Want to talk about it?”

“Can we lie down?” Angela asked.

“Of course.” Fareeha wiped the tears from Angela's cheeks, and gently guided her down onto the mattress. Fareeha lay down beside her, face to face, and pulled the covers over them. She wrapped her arms around Angela, pulling her close. Angela tucked her head into Fareeha's neck and inhaled the familiar scent of the soldier. It was comforting, and steadied her exhausted mind.

“I lost a patient today.” Angela whispered. “My first in three years.”

“I'm so sorry to hear that habibti,” Fareeha said, gently kissing Angela's brow, “I'm sure you did all you could.”

“It was Emily's copilot.” Angela explained, “He died this morning, in his sleep. Just faded away.”

A sob escaped Angela, and Fareeha began to rub her back. Angela broke down, her emotions overwhelming her, and cried in Fareeha's arms. Fareeha had never felt so helpless. She had always felt awkward in situations like this but now, with the woman she loved a wreck in her arms, she was distressed. So she held Angela, tight, rubbing her back while whispering words of comfort. Gradually, bit by bit, Angela regained her composure. Her sobbing subsided, and her breaths began to slow. Fareeha tilted her head and leaned in, kissing Angela softly on the lips.

“Thank you.” Angela said.

“Anytime.” Fareeha replied.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Angela rolled over, taking the role of little spoon, and fidgeted to get comfy. Fareeha kissed her neck and nuzzled her back, before settling in for the night.

“Seven.” Angela said suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Seven what?” Fareeha murmured in response.

“The copilot,” Angela explained, “He is the seventh patient to die under my care.”

“For a combat medic with twelve years spent at the tip of the spear I'd say seven is a very good number.” Fareeha told her.

“I see them, their faces. Every night before I got to sleep.” Angela said, “I go through them by name.”

“Why?” Fareeha inquired, “If you don't mind me asking.”

“Not at all,” Angela replied, “They are reminders.”

“Reminders of what?”

“That I am not perfect, that I have room to improve, to get better. That I have to get better.” Angela said, burning conviction very clear in her tone.

“I know you will.” Fareeha told her, “Just don't push yourself so hard that you lose sight of what really matters.”

“You sound as if you have experience with this.” Angela said. When Fareeha remained silent she added “Sorry, I didn't mean to-”

“No it's fine.” Fareeha interrupted, “You are not the first person to point that out. My mother cast a long shadow, and sometimes I get so focused on getting out of it that I forget to stop and smell the roses.”

“Well you smell better than a rose.” Angela quipped, and Fareeha giggled at the cheesy line. “I can't believe I said that.”

“Excellent.” Fareeha cackled, “Everything is going according to plan.”

“I'll never surrender!” Angela declared. She turned her head an whispered into Fareeha's ear. “Unless someone were too...convince me.”

The sudden shift in tone sent heat rushing to Fareeha's face, as well as between her legs.

“You're not too tired?” Fareeha asked, meeting Angela's gaze.

“No.” The doctor said firmly, “I want you. We've had sex before, but this time I want to make love.”

Fareeha answered with a kiss, deepening it as she pulled the doctor closer. Her lips curved into a smile as Angela moan softly.

“Nothing would make me happier.”

 

What Angela meant by making love quickly became apparent. Every kiss, every caress, was done with such tenderness and care. The tempo was much slower than their previous sessions, but was far more pleasurable. Fareeha writhed under Angela's touch as the doctor showed Fareeha just how much she meant to her. Angela loomed over top of her, kissing and caressing Fareeha as her fingers worked their magic in between the soldier's legs. As her climax neared Fareeha forced her eyes open, locking her gaze onto the starry depth of Angela's own eyes. Angela's name rolled off her tongue again and again, the urgency and need in her voice increasing each time, as Fareeha endeavored to show just how much she enjoyed what Angela was doing to her body.

Her back jerked as she felt the knot in her chest burst, and she cried out as the waves of pleasure radiated out through her body. Her arms tightened their grip, holding Angela close so the doctor could feel Fareeha's whole body vibrate and twitch as the orgasm coursed through it. Angela smiled warmly as Fareeha exhaled, and sealed the moment with a kiss.

No sooner had their lips parted then Fareeha flipped Angela over in one smooth motion and began to repay her in full. Now it was Angela's turn to writhe and shake, and she urged Fareeha on with her voice. The same voice moaned and groaned as the soldier went to work, getting shakier and more ragged as the tempo increased. When her orgasm neared Angela mirrored Fareeha's earlier gesture and kept her eyes open and fixed on her partner's. So intense were Angela's emotions that she burst into tears as she climaxed, and Fareeha immediately stopped out of concern.

“Angela!” She said urgently, “Are you okay?! Did I hurt you? I'm so sor-”

Angela cut her off with a kiss, albeit a sloppy one given that she was still sobbing.

“That was perfect.” She told Fareeha, “I love you so much schatz.”

“So I didn't hurt you?”

“Nono,” Angela explained, “These are tears of joy.”

“Good” Fareeha sounded relieved. “I love you too habibti.”

 

Sleep eluded Fareeha. Images of the battle continued to flash before her eyes every time she began to drift off. She settled for watching Angela sleep instead, hoping the slow rhythm of her breathing would lull Fareeha into drifting off herself. The doctor looked so peaceful. Her hair was down, and tousled due to their earlier activities. Fareeha liked it that way. It was a side of Angela nobody else got to see, as the doctor went just about everywhere with her trademark ponytail. The rare occasions that it did come down were reserved for Fareeha. This little bit of Angela was Fareeha's, and Fareeha's alone.

“You know I can feel you staring at me.” Angela said without opening her eyes. It appeared Fareeha was not the only one having trouble sleeping.

“Can't help it.” Fareeha replied, “You are too beautiful not too.”

Angela blushed at the compliment.

“As charming as that was, being watched makes it hard to sleep.” Angela said. “And I believe you are under orders to let me rest.” She teased.

“Sorry.” Fareeha said. “Just can't seem to sleep.”

“Wanna talk?” Angela asked.

“It's late-”

“Fareeha.” The doctor looked at her as if over a pair of glasses.

“Fine, fine.” Fareeha took a moment to compose her thoughts. “It's about the soldier in the letter.”

Angela propped herself up on an elbow, the covers falling away from her chest.

“Is this what had you turtling up on the planet?”

“Yeah I suppose it did.” Fareeha said after a moment of thought. “I have to. I have to stay strong for the squad while we are in the field, so I shut down emotionally and push things aside until the mission is over.”

“And after the mission?”

“I deal with it.”

“That's pretty vague.” Angela said, giving her a look. The doctor relented, maybe she was being a bit too pushy. “I'm here if you need it, but if you don't want to talk or have somebody else for this I understand. I'm not going to force you to confide in me about these sorts of things.”

Fareeha was silent for a long moment so Angela gave her a smile. When the soldier didn't move Angela gently patted he thigh and turned to lay back down. After a brief spell of silence Fareeha spoke, her voice quiet.

“He died in my arms.” She whispered. Fareeha sat at the edge of the bed, staring at her hands. “His body...there was so much missing.”

Angela got up and crawled over to Fareeha. She wrapped her arms around the soldier's body and kissed her softly on the shoulder.

“I've never seen so much blood in my life.” Fareeha continued. “And his intestines...” She drew a shaky breath.

“Was this the first time?” Angela asked gently. Fareeha shook her head.

“No.” She replied, “But this was the worst I've ever seen, and I've seen some fucked up shit.”

“Nobody said this job was easy.” Angela told her, “It's okay to be disturbed by things like that. It's normal, it's human. Don't be ashamed of that.”

Fareeha nodded, unable to speak. A single tear fell from her face, splashing onto her thigh.

“Shhh it's okay.” Angela said. She placed a hand over Fareeha's heart. The soldier grabbed it and squeezed. They sat there for a while, listening to Fareeha's heartbeat in the stillness of the night.

“I had an episode today.” Fareeha said after a while. “The first one in almost three years.”

“How bad?” Angela asked.

“Not the worst I've had, but still not an enjoyable experience.”

“How did you manage them before?”

“By being aware of my triggers.” Fareeha answered. “And the occasional therapy session.”

“Would you like me to set you up with an appointment? Dr. Elkhorn is one of the best, she's helped me a lot with mine.”

“Thanks, I would appreciate that.” Fareeha turned and gave Angela a peck.

“Anything I can do?” Angela asked, nuzzling Fareeha's neck.

“Keep making me talk.” The soldier replied.

“Noted.” Angela yawned, stretching her arms. She lay back down and beckoned Fareeha with a finger. The soldier followed, sliding over-top of Angela to lay down beside her. Angela tucked her head in next to Fareeha's chest, and once again listened to the soft beating of the soldiers heart. The doctor was soon asleep, and the soft sound of her breathing began to make Fareeha drowsy. Her eyelids felt heavy, and this time when they closed there were no nightmarish images to startle them back open. Her mind began to slip, and soon she joined Angela in blissful slumber.

 

The next day both women were summoned to meet the captain. They found Sombra, Satya and Jesse outside the captains quarters as well. The couple arrived hand in hand, something Jesse was quick to take advantage of.

“Looks like the lovebirds slept well.” He teased. Angela stuck her tongue out at him in response.

“Real mature Ang.” He deadpanned.

“Says the thirty-seven year old bounty-hunter dressed like a cowboy.” Angela fired back, giving his shoulder a playful shove. Sombra snickered, while Satya huffed in annoyance. Morrison stepped out at that moment.

“Please come in.” He said, and led the group into his office, shutting the door behind them.

He took a seat, and gestured for the group to follow suit in the provided chairs.

“Fleet intelligence just finished going through the tech we captured on Darleen prime. Unfortunately Deadlock was able to wipe most of the files. No leads on Talon survived.” Morrison told them. Their faces fell at the news.

“What does that mean?” Fareeha asked.

“It means we are back to square one I'm afraid.” Morrison replied. “As far as the admiralty board is concerned, this case is closed.”

“But it's not!” Sombra said angrily, “Talon is still out there, I didn't throw away everything I had just to give up like this!”

Morrison held up a hand.

“I know, and I have no intention of giving up on this matter either. We lost too many good people down there,” Angela and Fareeha nodded emphatically at this, “Their sacrifice needs to be worth something.”

He paused and retrieved several pieces of paper from a file on his desk.

“We took a number of casualties. Seven dead, thirty-two wounded. Four of those wounded will be honorably discharged as the nature of their injuries makes further military service impossible; Therefore the crew has eleven empty spots. We also took a number of losses in equipment as well. One Thunderbird and two Spitfires are write-offs, and several Raptora suits are in need of extensive servicing.”

Jesse fidgeted impatiently, earning a disproving raise of an eyebrow by Satya. Morrison took the hint.

“The point of telling you all this is to let you know we will be stopping at Deneb to take on replacements and supplies, but also that I have been authorized to make some unorthodox additions to the crew.”

He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Jesse, who took the unlit cigar out of his mouth and began to read it.

“Jesse I would like to offer you an opportunity to be reinstated in the fleet proper, at your previous rank of Gunnery Chief. The recon platoon need a couple of new NCO's, especially after Chief Wainwright was killed.”

“Pay?” Jesse asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Will be restored to you previous level. No back pay though.”

“Fair enough. I'll need to make some calls.” Jesse said. “Any chance I can retrieve some belongings?”

“The Deneb stopover will be forty-eight hours. That's all you have.”

Jesse nodded, and placed the cigar back in his mouth. Morrison turned to Sombra.

“The admiralty is willing to look the other was with regards to your previous activities as well as offer you a place in the fleet auxiliary. In exchange they ask that you renounce your past history with Talon, give a list of your former associates to fleet intelligence, and swear an oath to the LCDF.”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Sombra replied. “Too many conditions.”

“I figured as much. Satya.” Morrison nodded his head in her direction.

“Our second offer is off the record. If we are to still go after Talon we- I -will need someone with your particular skill-set to help go through all the data we recovered. I'm hoping we can pick up something fleet intelligence missed.”

“What's in it for me?” Sombra asked, giving Satya a look. Fareeha though it looked like a predator sizing up it's next meal. Satya replied with one just as fierce, and Fareeha wasn't sure if they were going to strangle or kiss one another.

“Hot food, a warm bed, a criminal pardon, and the pleasant company of myself for most of your working day.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Sombra said, licking her lips, “But I accept.”

“Good.” Satya said, not breaking eye contact.

“Good.” Sombra replied.

“If you two are quite finished,” Morrison interjected, “I'll continue. We are going to be resuming our original mission of patrolling the Castalan Verge until a breakthrough can be made.”

“Do you think the admiralty will let us pursue the lead if one presents itself?” Fareeha asked.

“We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Morrison replied, “Until that time comes we have colonists to protect. The Prosperity XVII initiative leaves Earth today, and will arrive in the Verge early next week so things will be busy. Questions?” When none were forthcoming he continued. “Dismissed.”

The group filed out of the room and went their separate ways. Jesse gave Angela and Fareeha a tip of the hat before walking of. The couple headed back to Fareeha's quarters.

“Almost two months later and we are finally going to do what we set out to do in the first place.” Fareeha remarked, chuckling.

“Some routine patrolling will be good I think.” Angela said, “Regularity will be a nice change from recent events.”

“I couldn't agree more.” Fareeha replied, “It'll give the squad time to recover.”

They paused upon reaching the door to Fareeha's quarters.

“So I still have two more days off.” Angela said, biting her lip. “Let's have some fun.”

Fareeha pulled Angela in and kissed her soundly on the lips.

“You're on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute birbs being cute. Yes the chapter name is a Tegan and Sara reference. I hope I did the PTSD bit properly, still a little nervous about that. Also nervous about the sex, but whatev. Originally this was going to be a lot fluffier with less comfort but it kinda ended up being the opposite. Idk I think it works better, and hopefully there was still enough fluff in there for you fluff fans. Anyways I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reading!
> 
> ps I wrote this listening to the new Chainsmokers song with Coldplay, I friggen love it so much


	20. Darkening Skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time!

 

So began the first official patrol of LCS Calgary and the crew adjusted to the change of pace excellently, Angela and Fareeha in particular. It meant more time to spend off shift with one another, as their budding romance transitioned into full bloom. It seemed like love was in the air, as the crew dealt with the relative boredom by getting busy with one another. This was par for the course as far as the Navy was concerned. What LCDF personnel did with each other in the privacy of their quarters, as long as it did not interfere with day to day operations (or broke the law), was up to them. 

There were a few unspoken rules however; Officers never got involved with their subordinates, and squad or unit-cest was to be avoided. Despite breaking one of these rules, as Angela was technically attached to Helix squad, Fareeha and Angela only grew closer. Dubbed the “Bird Moms” by the rest of the squad, they could be seen arm in arm the second their respective shifts ended. Every day they made the rounds of the ship, often with Juno in tow, checking up on friends and colleagues.

Those days became weeks, and the weeks became months. Not that the crew of the Calgary spent the whole time shacked up with one another. Patrol duty kept them busy. There were twelve new colonies in the Castalan Verge, founded by the same ships Fareeha had observed from her hotel room in Calgary, and they needed help getting set up. The crew of LCS Calgary preformed many tasks to aid the colonists in each stopover. 

Torbjorn and his engineers helped with construction, and the delicate process of converting each colony ship's reactor core into a power source each colony. Angela and her medical team had plenty of work as well, running free clinic days on each stopover. Where Angela went Helix squad went as well, providing security and crowd control. There was also the occasional hunt, usually in pursuit of native fauna that had become too aggressive. The last thing a fledgling colony needs is bloodthirsty predators prowling around, although these “hunts” usually amounted to no more than a long and frustrating hike through the wilderness.

Fareeha found these to be useful in other ways, even if the success chance was well below ten percent. It gave the squad badly needed training time with their MKV suits, and allowed those who were injured to get back into the swing of things. Baleroc rejoined Helix squad two months into patrolling, his shiny new prosthetic leg matching the mossy green of his Raptora suit. It was also much needed bonding time for the squad and they got to know one another very well, and with that came some surprising revelations. 

For example Delyinn had actually turned down an offer to play rugby for Canada's national team to join the LCDF. Norman was an avid gardener, and had managed to convince one of the engineers into helping him set up a vegetable bed in an unused cabin aboard the ship. Darys had operatic training, and often sang for the squad on nights off. Jorix soon proved to be unbeatable at poker, while Edric destroyed all opposition at Risk. Krass and Kodlak showed the finer points of Anthanebian wrestling, and stories of their clan's three-thousand year history. 

Kip and Baleroc brought stories as well, fables and myths from the deserts of Jurg-Knootheg, and were always eager to give advice or lend a hand. They quickly became the most popular members of the squad, and Fareeha worried in private as to what would happen to squad morale if one or both were killed. 

There were plenty of practical jokes too, Saleh and Tariq playing a central role in an overwhelming majority of them. Tariq's particular favorite involved concealing his detached prosthetic arm in various locations, and triggering it remotely to jump out at anyone who passed by. The highest profile victim was Reinhardt who after recovering from the shock gave Tariq a hearty slap on the back an laughed with the corporal. Saleh and Tariq had an unexpected accomplice in Chogg. The Caphevad was quiet and unassuming, perfect for luring in potential victims. 

Edric was the favorite target, especially when the deposed prince's ego got out of hand; However nobody in Helix was safe, not even Fareeha and Angela. Every ten days Fareeha would do laundry, and several times she came back to her quarters to discover various “gifts” from “Angela” glued to her door. The crown jewel was a massive blue dildo, with an attached note that said “Doctor's orders: To be taken before each meal.”. Fareeha spent an hour trying to remove it, but the trio had done an impressive job adhering it to her door. To make matters worse, the attachment prevented her door from opening properly, so she had to squeeze through it half open in order to use her room. She gave up, and left to take out her frustration on a punching bag in the gym. She came back that night to find it had been given a face, complete with a mustache and matching beret. Dubbed “Jock the Cock”, he became the unofficial mascot of the squad. Angela fell victim a week later. “Perky Pete”, who was the same size as Jock only bright pink, stared across the hall at Jock.

Revenge was in order. The couple didn't have to wait long. After Torbjorn helped to remove the phallic objects from their mounts he gave Angela and Fareeha access to the armory after hours. The next morning when Saleh and Tariq went to suit up they found some...unorthodox modifications to their helmets. Both “Jock the Cock” and “Perky Pete” had found new homes on the two corporal's helmets. That effectively made Angela and Fareeha off limits.

Lena and Emily were also off limits, a truce rigidly enforced by Fareeha. It had come about after a series of pranks escalated into an all out war, all in good fun of course, but Fareeha put her foot down when it threatened to hamper squad operations. Emily had fully recovered from her injuries and was back to flying Red Fox three, albeit with a new crew. She named her new Thunderbird “The Avenger”, and had photos of her three fallen comrades painted below the cockpit. Her chance to settle the score with Talon would come sooner than anyone realized.

 

0943 Hours, October 3rd, 2545  
Briefing room, LCS Calgary

“-and that was the last time she was seen.” Admiral Sato finished as Fareeha walked into the room.

“Ah Lieutenant Amari, punctual as always.”

Fareeha ignored the admiral's barb and took her seat beside Angela. The rest of the Calgary's command staff were already there. Morrison raised an eyebrow at her.

“Apologies sir, Baleroc's leg was having syncing issues with his suit that needed sorting out.” Fareeha explained.

Morrison nodded and gave her a supportive smile, letting her know he understood and was on he side. The admiral continued his briefing.

“As I was saying LCS Carl Sagan is seventy-two hours overdue for its arrival at Lennox. She was dispatched to gather samples of the local flora and fauna for Neil Armstrong Lunar University. But has not been heard from since she left Commonwealth space a week ago.”

“Do we know what route she took?” Reinhardt asked.

“Yes, my AI is sending the flight path as we speak.”

“Confirmed.” Bastion said. The holo-projector on the table suddenly came to life. It displayed the route LCS Carl Sagan had intended to take to Lennox which lay deep in the Castalan Verge, very close to the galactic core.

“The last sighting was by an early warning buoy here,” Morrison pointed to a flashing dot midway between Earth and Lennox, “We'll start our search there.”

“Speed is imperative.” The admiral told them. “Find that ship. Sato out.”

The screen displaying his face cut to black.

“There has to be more to it than that.” Satya commented. “A heavy cruiser is a little excessive for search and rescue.”

All the faces at the table turned to Morrison, who shrugged.

“I'm not at liberty to say any more at this point.” He said. “But the admiral is right, speed is imperative.” He turned in Fareeha's direction. “Lieutenant Amari, prepare your squad for EVA. Lieutenant Vaswani and Sombra will accompany you. The rest of you, battle stations. We depart at once.”

 

Four hours later,

LCS Calgary emerged from warp on the outskirts of PX-946, the last known location for LCS Carl Sagan. Morrison stood up from his chair.

“Anything?” He asked Satya, who wore a black EVA suit instead of her dress blues. She shook her head.

“Nothing. She isn't here.”

The captain nodded grimly.

“Okay. Torbjorn, deploy the probe.”

At the stern of the Calgary a small hatch opened, releasing a small spherical object. The device deployed its thrusters and sped away from the ship.

“Should only take a couple of minutes.” The chief engineer said, “Starting scans now.”

The minutes ticked by in tense silence. The crew still had no idea of the gravity of the situation. Morrison felt bad keeping them in the dark but orders were orders, especially when they came from the president herself.

“I've got something.” Torbjorn reported, “Looks like an ion trial, but I'll need a moment to clean it up.”

“Do whatever you need to do.” Morrison told him. “Just make sure you get a clear bearing.”

Another tense silence followed. Morrison eventually broke it.

“Talk to me Torb,” he said, “What do we have?”

“Data is still coming in. Looks like an ion trail matching the profile of a Discovery class science ship, but it's mixed with another.” Torbjorn said.

“Another one?” Morrison asked, exchanging a concerned look with Reinhardt. “What can you tell me about this second one?”

“Nothing good.” Was the grim reply. “It matches the profile of an Alliance Dragon class light cruiser, on a parallel course.”

“Do we have a heading?”

“Yes, uploading it now.”

A set of coordinates flashed on screen. Three systems lay along the heading given. One was inhabited, which ruled it out as the ships would have been seen. Of the remaining two, only one was far enough outside Commonwealth space to make pirating a ship feasible without starting a war.

“Helm set a course for PX-234A.” Morrison ordered. “Maintain battle stations.”

“Ay sir.” Layda eased the Calgary through a ninety degree turn.

“Course plotted sir.” Elhara reported.

“Take us in” Morrison ordered.

Layda throttled up, and the distinct hum of the warp core could be heard. Bastion gave the countdown and within seconds they were hurtling through space at many times the speed of light. The system in question was close by. In less than fifteen minutes the Calgary dropped out of warp on its outskirts. Almost immediately something showed up on sensors.

“We have a contact.” Satya said, “Putting it on screen.”

The display flickered before showing a seemingly empty region of space. The screen zoomed in, and what it revealed drew gasps and groans from the bridge crew.

It was the wreckage of a ship, the title “LCS Carl Sagan” emblazoned across the bow. A quick scan confirmed the identity of the wreck. Morrison sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Bring us alongside.” He ordered, “We can still check for survivors. Satya you still go, and take Sombra.”

“Am I looking for anything in particular?” She asked, her tone sharp. She was not used to being kept in the dark.

“Get the logs, crew manifests, security data. Anything you think will help explain what happened.”

“Yes sir.” She saluted and left the bridge.

“Shall I have the crew stand down sir?” Reinhardt asked.

“No. Whoever did this could be waiting in ambush for all we know.” The captain replied. “Keep them on the alert, and get our birds in the air, I don't want to be caught flat-footed.”

“You have a bad feeling sir?” Layda asked. Morrison nodded.

“Worse than that.” He replied. “I know it's a trap. Fleet intelligence told me to expect at least one visitor.”

“Well if it's a fight they want, it's a fight they will get.” Reinhardt declared. “And we always give a good fight.”

“I hope you are right.” Morrison said.

 

Down on the hanger deck things were hectic. Ship after ship launched out of the Calgary, setting up a perimeter as the cruiser closed with the wreckage. Fareeha was doing the last check on her suit diagnostics with the rest of Helix squad when Sataya arrived with Sombra in tow. They were both clad in a set of marine armor, fully sealed to allow operations in the cold vacuum of space. Sombra had managed to customize hers already, it was bright purple with a small cartoon skull on each shoulder. 

Fareeha couldn't comment, as the Raptora suits were not exactly subtle either. They required little in the way of modification to operate in a vacuum, just a small plexi-glass piece that attached underneath the visor of the helmet. Fareeha's helmet was in her hands at the moment, she was watching to make sure the rest of the squad had suited up without trouble. This was their first major mission since Darleen Prime, so nervous mistakes were to be expected. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and experience had shown her gut was always right.

Angela seemed to sense Fareeha's discomfort, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The doctor was still clad in her Valkyrie suit, as it was EVA capable. The only change was a clear plexi-glass bubble that fitted around her halo. This gave her unrestricted vision, something crucial for a field medic. Angela gave Fareeha a warm smile and seemed about to say something, but stopped as Satya approached.

“Lieutenant Amari,” Satya said, giving Fareeha a stiff salute, “Lieutenant commander Zeigler.”

“Lieutenant Vaswani.” Angela and Fareeha said together, returning the salute.

“I trust everything is in order?” Satya inquired. Fareeha nodded.

“We are all set to go. Do you need a hand stowing your gear?”

“This is all I need.” Satya replied, gesturing to a plain black suitcase at her side. She tapped the side of her helmet. “The rest is up here.”

“And down here.” Sombra said, patting Satya's butt. “Actually this is the best part.”

Satya turned beet red under her helmet, but did crack the smallest of smiles.

“With that I will board.” She said, and promptly strode up the ramp into the Slipstream.

“Later ladies.” Sombra said. She gave the couple a wave before following Satya up the ramp. Fareeha shook her head, chuckling.

“What she sees in that woman I will never understand.” She commented. “I don't trust her.”

“I think they balance each other out, when was the last time yo saw Satya smile like that?” Angela said. “And Sombra really isn't much different than myself.”

Fareeha gave her a confused look.

“Think about it.” Angela said, “We are both colony kids, orphaned by war.”

“If her back story is actually true.” Fareeha countered, “And you turned into one of the greatest medical minds in human history and she became a terrorist.”

Angela blushed at the compliment.

“It's not quite that simple, if our places had been switched I might have done the same.”

“Really?” Fareeha asked, “I don't think so. Give yourself a little credit Angela.”

The doctor shrugged.

“One of the hardest things about being a Deneb survivor is how we were treated.” She said. “People thought we were heroes, when really it was all dumb luck. Do you know how many other colonies got hit as hard as us?”

Fareeha shook her head.

“Thirty-seven. Can you guess how many received aid and rebuilding funds on the same level as Deneb?” Angela asked.

“I'm not going to like the answer am I?” Fareeha said.

“I'm afraid not.” Angela replied. “None. Not a single one. They were left to fend for themselves.”

“What's your point?” Fareeha inquired, “Not to rush but we do have a previous engagement.”

“My point is that if I had been on one of those other colonies and just watched my home burn and then to be told that help was not coming because those other people were more important, I would be angry. Combine that with the grief and who knows, lashing out against what seemed like an inept government might feel pretty good.” Angela pulled Fareeha into a hug. “I was so angry Fareeha. Angry and confused, and that was with the best therapy money could by. I can't even imagine what it would have been like deal with on my own.”

Fareeha scuffed the ground with her foot, and Angela stepped back.

“I'm not saying trust her blindly,” Angela said, “And I'm not trying to erase the terrible things she has done, but I am asking you to see things from her perspective a little. Understanding breeds empathy.”

Fareeha nodded.

“I suppose that's fair. I'm still going to keep an eye on her though.” She said.

“I'd expect nothing less.” Angela replied. She gently rested her bubble on Fareeha's forehead. “If I could kiss you I would.”

“Save it,” Fareeha told her, “For when we get back.”

“Deal.”

“We're good to go chief.” Tariq said from behind the couple.

“Okay,” Fareeha said, “Helix squad, mount up!”

 

Fifteen minutes later they had closed with the wreck. Up close they could see the severity of the damage. The hull of the Carl Sagan was riddled with holes. The ship had been torn in two, with most of the bow floating a couple kilometers away from the rest of the wreck. Debris floated around the ship, fragments of hull plating, internal components and even personal effects of the ship's crew formed a cloud around the hulk. Lena angled the shuttle towards the bow section. Most of the living quarters were located there, so it was a good place to start the search for any survivors.

“Okay listen up!” Fareeha said, “Our first priority is to search for survivors, so check every room. The full floor plan has been downloaded into your HUD, so make use of it. Darys and Delyinn will accompany Lieutenant Vaswani and Sombra to the forward server bank where they will temporarily restore power to look for any useful data. Saleh, your section will cover the port side, and Tariq you get the starboard.”

“What about you and the doc?” Tariq asked.

“We'll be checking the forward escape pods and the captain quarters, which are both in the middle.” Fareeha answered. She looked around and gave the squad a confident smile. “Check your corners and don't split up into anything smaller than pairs. Remember your training and-”

“We'll get through this just fine.” The squad chorused, some of them rolling their eyes.

“Pulling up now!” Lena announced from the cockpit.

“Seal check!” Fareeha ordered. They busied themselves with making sure their suits were fully sealed. Once the last person gave the all clear Fareeha motioned to the air lock at the back of the shuttle. There was only enough room for two at a time so Fareeha and Angela stepped in first. The door hissed shut behind them and the lights dimmed, bathing the couple in a dim red glow. There was another hiss as the room depressurized, and the sound grew fainter as the air left the small space. Fareeha felt rather than heard the metallic clank as the outer door opened, revealing the starry expanse of space. A quick pulse of her thrusters and she was gliding out into the abyss before her, with Angela a short distance behind. The only sound was that of her breathing, calm and deliberate, as she scanned the area. This was not her first EVA experience, but the view always left her in awe. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Angela floating beside her.

“Beautiful isn't it?” Angela said, taking Fareeha's hand.

“Yeah, breathtakingly so.” Fareeha replied, “Still doesn't compare to you though.”

Angela giggled and turned red at the compliment.

“That was really cheesy,” she said, “But thank you nonetheless.”

“You might say it's a 'Gouda' one.” Fareeha replied with a wink and finger guns.

Angela laughed.

“What am I going to do with you?” She asked.

“Hopefully nothing that breaks fraternization protocols.” Satya said as she joined them. The couple laughed nervously in response. “That was a joke.”

“Who are you?” Fareeha asked, “And what did you do with the real Satya?”

“Hilarious.” Satya deadpanned. “I can have fun when I want too.”

“I blame you.” Angela said, pointing to Sombra as she joined the trio. “Give us back stiff and formal Satya.”

“Can't.” Sombra said. She twiddled her fingers. “Broke her with these.”

“A likely story.” Satya said. She adjusted the briefcase in her hand, careful not to let go of it.

“I have to ask, what is in there?” Inquired Fareeha.

“A handheld computer, several portable hard-drives, a miniature generator and just about every type of connector cable.” Satya answered.

“Mmmmm I love it when you talk dirty.” Sombra purred.

“Whose talking dirty now?” Saleh chimed in as he joined the group. “I want in!”

“Me too!” Tariq added.

“Once, just once, I would like to go on a mission that doesn't dissolve into an unprofessional cluster-fuck.” Satya complained to no-one in particular.

“You like it.” Sombra teased, booping the lieutenant's visor. Sayta sighed dramatically.

“I'm not hearing you deny it.” Sombra pointed out. That drew a withering look.”

They were joined in short order by the rest of the squad. Fareeha fired a maneuvering jet to face them.

“Remember this is a search and rescue.” She told them. “Check your corners and don't be trigger happy. Clear?”

“Yes ma'am!” They replied in unison.

“Okay, move out!”

Fareeha fired her jets, accelerating to a comfortable pace, before shutting them of and letting her momentum propel her towards the wreck. They reached it quickly. Upon arriving at the breach in the hull where the bow section had split off from the rest of the ship they divided into their respective groups. Angela and Fareeha made there way underneath to check on the escape pods.

“Holy shit!” Fareeha exclaimed when they reached them.

“That's not good.” Angela observed.

The fifty meter bulge running along the keel of the ship was blackened and scarred. All the pods had been either destroyed outright or were too badly damaged to launch.

“Guess that rules out an accident.” Angela said. “Those poor people.”

Fareeha nodded.

“Calgary this is Pharah. I have visual on the forward escape pods. They are all destroyed or disabled, none have been launched. Looks like they were damaged by external fire of some sort.” Fareeha reported.

“Copy that, continue the search.” Was the response.

Fareeha motioned upwards, and Angela followed. They made their way to an access hatch on the lower hull. They activated their magnetic boots, giving them some stability. Fareeha struggled with the latch for a few moments. Angela came to her rescue. She used the end her staff like a pry-bar, and helped remove the stubborn piece of metal. Fareeha entered first, taking her launcher out of its holster, followed closely by Angela.

“I didn't realize that could double as a crowbar.” Fareeha said, pointing at the staff.

“Comes in handy when I'm treating patients encased in layers of metal,” The doctor replied, “Especially crusaders.”

“That makes a lot of sense actually.” Fareeha said, “Shall we?”

“Of course.” Angela replied, “Lead the way.”

They carefully picked their way forward through the corridor, lit only by the lights of their helmets and Fareeha's rocket launcher. Signs of battle were everywhere. The walls were scarred with blast marks from energy weapons, and bullet casings floated all around them. Every now and then they came across a patch of blood, either frozen in spheres or staining the walls and floor. As they neared the captain's quarters one disturbing fact became clear.

“Where are the bodies?” Angela asked suddenly. “There are no bodies, not even the tiniest chunk of flesh. Just blood.”

“Something isn't right.” Fareeha said. She activated her radio. “Saleh, Tariq, any sign of the crew?”

“Nothing. Plenty of signs of battle, but no bodies.” Saleh reported.

“Looks like they got caught with their pants down.” Tariq added, “There are half eaten rations in many of the rooms.”

“Something tells me we won't find the crew.” Fareeha said with a sigh, “But keep looking, just in case.”

More grim evidence of the desperate struggle was found just outside the captains quarters. Several filing cabinets had been dragged into the corridor to create a makeshift barrier blocking the doorway. Unfortunately for the defenders the attacking party brought heavy weaponry. The door had been blown completely open by some sort of explosive. Fareeha and Angela weaved their way through the debris and into the captain's quarters. It was full of floating items, likely disturbed by the explosion that blew open the door. Suddenly Fareeha felt the floor vibrate beneath her.

“What was that?” She asked over the radio, sharing a worried glance with Angela. The lights in the room flickered for a few seconds before coming to life.

“I have restored power temporarily.” Satya reported, “While we search the servers for data.”

“Copy. Try not to shake the ship, or what's left of it, apart.” Fareeha said.

“That surge won't happen again. Had to do it to bypass some rather unorthodox security measures.” Satya explained.

“Acknowledged, Pharah out.”

While Fareeha had been occupied with the conversation Angela had begun searching through the debris for anything useful. She beckoned Fareeha over.

“I think I found something.” Angela said. In her hand was a small tablet, with the initial "A. A" on the back. 

“A. A?” Fareeha asked.

“Anderson Archer.” Angela replied, pointing to the nameplate strip somehow still attached to the desk, “Or if you had paid attention in the briefing.” Angela's tone was teasing.

“Kinda hard to concentrate when a certain someone's hand is inching up my thigh.” Fareeha shot back.

“I didn't hear you complaining.” Angela said as Fareeha reached her side, “In fact I'm pretty sure you moaned under your breath.”

Fareeha didn't say anything, but her face was beat red.

“Lets just see what's on this thing.” She said, eager to change the subject. Angela pressed the power button and they were greeted by a login screen.

“Don't suppose you have the password?” Angela asked.

“Better.” Fareeha flashed a confident smile. She pulled out a small electronic device from her utility belt. Fareeha inserted it into the bottom of the tablet. “Engage security override, clearance Theta 241.”

“Authorization?” The feminine voice belonging to the tablet's operating system asked.

“Fareeha Amari.”

The tablet restarted, and this time skipped the login screen. Angela stared at Fareeha, eyes wide and mouth open.

“You're Theta certified?!” She exclaimed.

“Yeah.” Fareeha said, shrugging her shoulders. “Wasn't exactly at liberty to discuss-”

“I thought I was the only non-bridge crew to have it!” Angela interrupted, puling Fareeha into a hug. “This changes everything!”

“I didn't have much of a choice, my mother was involved in too many sensitive things. I had to get certified in order to visit her as a teenager.”

“That must have been hard.”

Fareeha nodded.

“I'm relieved that you Theta level as well. Just the though of being able to talk about certain things is a lot of weight off my shoulders.” She said.

Angela smiled warmly.

“Not that I expect us to be able to speak about such sensitive matters much, but yeah I completely agree.”

Fareeha scanned the screen of the tablet and quickly found something out of place.

“Urgent: Please Watch!” She said, reading the title of an app on the screen. “Sounds like a good place to start.”

She tapped the icon with a gauntlet covered finger.

“Audio log: September 30th 2545, Captain Anderson Archer.” The feminine voice said. There was a pause, and then the recording started. 

“This is Captain Able Archer of LCS Carl Sagan. If you are listening to this then something terrible has happened to us. We are under-” There was a tremendous crash in the background of the recording, “Attack by an unknown vessel. It resembles an Alliance cruiser but it's marking are not that of any known pirate group in Alliance, Commonwealth or Independent space. The first attack was three days ago, and it disabled our communications just as we exited Commonwealth space. They've been following us ever since. They hit us with some sort of computer virus, which brought down our shield long enough for them to get a well aimed salvo off before we could jump to warp.”

Fareeha paused the recording, and called Satya on the radio.

“Symmetra we've found an audio log in the captains quarters. It mentions that whatever attacked the ship used some sort of computer virus to take down the shield temporarily. Any sign of it in the servers?”

“That would explain some of the code we are having to sift through.” Satya replied, “Looks like they tried to improvise a defense.”

“Keep me posted on your progress, Pharah out.”

Fareeha turned back to the tablet, and pressed the screen to continue the audio log.

“The last attack took out the escape pods, and crippled out sublight engines. They are closing as we speak. I've given orders for the crew to take up arms, but they are not soldiers. We won't last long if they board, which I believe is their intention. The only thing I can think of worth attacking us over is our AI, Ganymede. I've ordered my first officer to head to the AI core to wipe it, but that will take t-” There was a rumble in the background, and a second panicked voice could be heard for a moment before the captain resumed speaking. “They are closing as I speak now. Sarah I love you very much, be strong for Nelson.” The staccato of weapons fire could be heard in the background. “There's be-” The log went dead.

“That's it?” Angela asked. Fareeha nodded.

“Appears so. Thoughts?”

“We should check out the AI core and the labs at the back of the ship. We might find answers there.”

“I agree. We can jump over while the rest of the squad finishes searching the forward section. I want to take a look at the AI core before Sombra gets there.”

“Let's move then.” Angela said, and started for the door.

“Symmetra, Mercy and I are going to head for the stern section to check out the AI core and the laboratories. Join us as soon as you are done.” Fareeha said into the radio.

“Copy that Pharah, should be another ten minutes or so.” Satya replied.

“Sounds good, Pharah out.” Fareeha said, before hurrying after Angela. They worked their way back to the hatch they had entered from. Angela left first, tucking her wings so she could fit through the opening. Fareeha followed, taking a minute to ensure her engines were properly positioned so as not to snag on the hull. Once outside she deactivated the magnets in her boots and pushed away from the hull, joining Angela who was floating a short distance away. Fareeha paused, checking her equipment one last time before jetting off towards the stern section of the Carl Sagan.

Angela flew beside her, giving Fareeha a warm smile when she glanced over. Suddenly her expression dropped into one of concern, then to alarm. Fareeha could see the looming reflection off of Angela's helmet. She turned around and for the first time in a long while felt truly afraid. There, approaching at flank speed, was the unmistakable profile of an Alliance cruiser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters over 5000 words seem to take forever, ugh. Real life has kept me bust too, one of the teachers who normally helps coach rugby with me had to back out, which means I am doing far more of the administrative side of things than normal and that eats up my spare time =P I am soooooo stoked for the new event though, the dance emotes are fantastic. I am over the fucking moon that my headcannon of Fareeha loving classic rock is essential confirmed and that the scene of her dancing in the armory with her rocket launcher is basically in the game now and it's great. Also Angela is so incredibly white and bad at dancing and it fits her so well. As always thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> ps. Angela and Fareeha getting matching card sprays made me squeal
> 
> pps. Thanks to TheSoundOfThunderstorms who pointed out a small oversight with regards to doors, how they open, and what would happen if an object was attached to them while they open. It has been fixed.


	21. Birds of a Feather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update!

“Mein gott.” Angela said.

“Make for the stern section.” Fareeha told her, “Go as fast as you can.”

Fareeha's voice was steady and calm, but inside she could feel fear taking hold.

“Not now!” She kept thinking, “Not like this!”

“What about you?” Angela asked. “I'm not leaving you.”

Her voice caught at the end, and she took a firm hold of Fareeha's arm.

“I'll be right behind you.” Fareeha said. She looked Angela in the eyes and spoke the next words softly. “I promise.”

Angela nodded faintly, unable to speak.

“Go.” Fareeha said, with urgency this time. Angela shot off, her wings fully flared as her suit propelled her tot he relative safety of the stern section. She looked back over her shoulder, and to her dismay Fareeha hadn't moved.

“Pharah what are you waiting for?!” She exclaimed in panic over the radio, “Get the fuck out of there!”

Suddenly the panels on Fareeha's suit popped open, and rockets shot out in all directions. The moment they were gone Fareeha closed her flaps and blasted off after Angela. At any moment Angela expected to feel the sharp stabbing pain of a bullet, only nothing happened. In fact when she turned around again she was astonished to see the cruiser moving away from the wreck, chasing the rockets back towards open space. By now Fareeha had caught up with her, and the soldier had a much more relaxed expression than before.

“Alliance sensors, Corbalian ones in particular, are more IR focused.” She explained, “To them my rockets look like a squad fleeing.”

Indeed Angela could just make out the light given off by the rocket engines just ahead of the cruiser as they sped away. The couple reached the relative safety of the stern section soon after, and Fareeha called the rest of the squad on the radio.

“Stay where you are.” She ordered, “And don't do anything to attract attention.”

That meant shutting the power off in the forward section, bringing Satya and Sombra's work to an end for the moment.

“Where is the Calgary?” Fareeha asked, scanning the space outside of the compartment they had taken shelter in.

“There!” Angela pointed below them. Fareeha peered down and sure enough there was the Calgary, carefully concealed from the Alliance cruiser behind the debris cloud. As the Alliance cruiser drew further away from the wreck Morrison made his move. The Calgary charged at flank speed towards its oblivious target. The Alliance captain had been so intent on finding what he assumed were more survivors that he had failed to scan for other ships. Still the Calgary's guns stayed silent, which confused the Angela.

“Why aren't they shooting?” She asked.

“He's going to ram.” Fareeha replied, not believing what she was seeing.

“What do you mean he's going to-...oh.”

The Calgary, at top speed, slammed into the Alliance cruiser from below, striking amidships, just aft of the bridge. Had there been an atmosphere to transmit sound it would have been deafening. The earsplitting screech as hull plates were rent and torn, the thunderous explosion as the Alliance ship fired a desperate salvo into the abyss, and the unearthly moan as the spine of the ship gave way all happened in total silence. It was a surreal experience to watch.

The force of the impact carried the Calgary right through her target, cutting it in two. Debris and bodies, sucked out of the newly exposed interior, were ejected into space in the wake of LCS Calgary. Only after her engines had had cleared the wreckage of her target did Morrison give the order to open fire. It only took two salvos to finish off what was left of the Alliance ship.

“Helix you are clear.” The captain's voice sounded over the radio. “Hurry though, there may be more coming and this time we won't have the element of surprise.”

“Copy Calgary.” Fareeha replied. “Symmetra, status?”

“Sombra will finish up here, I'm coming over.” Satya said.

“Copy that, we'll meet you in the AI core.”

Fareeha motioned to Angela and they made their way to a nearby corridor that led deeper into the ship. It was dark, the only light being the one on the couple's suits and weapons. Just like in the the bow there were signs of battle everywhere. They soon reached the central corridor running along the keel of the Carl Sagan.

“The labs should be along here.” Angela said, gesturing to a series of doors on the opposite side.

“If Sombra is staying back we may as well have a look.” Fareeha said. “We can't do much in the AI core without Satya anyways.”

They crossed the hall to one of the doors. This one was jammed half open, but still not wide enough for Fareeha to squeeze through in her bulky suit.

“Give me a sec.” Angela said. She tucked her wings in and wiggled through the gap. Fareeha felt a significant vibration through her feet.

“What are you doing?” Fareeha asked, alert eyes scanning the corridor. She swept her lights over it, looking for any sign of movement. She had the unnerving feeling that she was being watched. Something shifted in the corner of her vision. Fareeha turned in that direction, rocket launcher at the ready.

“Angela!”

“Hmm?” The doctor popped her head out of the door. “Need something?”

“We're not alone.” Fareeha told her.

“Well yeah, Satya-” Angela trailed off as she realized what her partner meant. “I'll hurry with the door then.”

“What are you doing?” Fareeha asked, not taking her eyes off the corridor.

“Manual override.”

“I didn't think you were much of a tech person, other than your nanites. And the suit. And the staff. Okay maybe you are a tech person.”

The sound of Angela's laughter filled Fareeha's helmet, and it made her smile despite the current situation.

“I understand what you mean.” Angela said, “Doors are not my normal area of expertise. I did a stint on the Neil Degrass Tyson during medical school. The Isaac Newton class science ships were not given powerful enough reactors to cope with the power spikes associated with some lab equipment. Brown-outs were common, so manual overrides became second nature to anyone who spent a significant amount of time on one.”

Angela reappeared and pushed the two halves of the door open, grunting with effort.

“Seems these hands are not just for show.” She joked, wiping the grease off on the nearby wall.

Fareeha stepped through the opening and into the lab beyond. Scientific instruments littered the room, many floating with the lack of gravity.

“What did they do here?” She asked, stepping around a microscope tumbling in front of her.

“Depends on where they were assigned.” Angela said. “When I was on the Isaac Newton it was almost entirely devoted to bio-mechanical engineering. According to the briefing the Carl Sagan was on colonial survey duty so I imagine there was a little bit of everything. Biology, geology, geography, physics, chemistry. You name it, it probably had at least ten grad students and a PHD holder.”

“So this would be normal tech?”

Angela turned around to see Fareeha holding a long black cylinder.

“That's...I don't know what that is.”

“I do.” Satya had arrived.

 

Bridge of LCS Calgary, 1423 Hours,

 

“Warp signature detected captain!”

“Rodger that nav. Helm, bring us about to heading 042.” Morrison ordered.

“Aye sir.”

As the Calgary swung round, Morrison turned to the comm officer filling Satya's role.

“Let Helix squad know we have company.”

“Aye sir.”

“Flight control recall our fighters. Form a perimeter around the ship. I don't want anything to get through.”

“What about the wreck? The Slipstream is still there.” The FC asked.

“Lieutenant Oxton can handle herself.” The captain replied.

“Radar contact, two-hundred clicks out.” Reinhardt said. “Alliance FFI detected.”

“Looks like a Dragon class cruiser, just like the last one.” Elhara reported.

“Multiple contacts, they're launching fighters!” Reinhardt said. “Orders sir?”

“Target the primary batteries of the cruiser. FC, direct your squadrons to clear the skies, but keep an eye on the wreck. One fighter breaking through could mean disaster for Helix.”

“We still have time to recall them.” Reinhardt said. “There is no shame in leaving now.”

“Never thought I'd hear you say that.” Morrison said with a grim smile.

Reinhardt shrugged his shoulders.

“Taking out one cruiser is a major diplomatic incident. Taking out two could start a war.” He said. “The last time we did something like this, I came out a little worse for wear.” Reinhardt pointed to the long scar on his face that ran through his milky white eye, “Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.”

“No. We have to give Helix more time. Whatever is on that ship is worth at least two Alliance cruisers. We fight, here and now, and will deal with the consequences later.” Morrison replied.

“Very well.” Reinhardt nodded, “I'm with you all the way.”

“They are hailing us sir.” The comm officer reported.

“Patch them through.” Morrison ordered.

The officer was just about to press the button when Bastion spoke up.

“I would not advise that.” He said. “I am detecting large amounts of data on unrecognized frequencies.”

“What are you trying to say?” The captain asked.

“That they could be trying to sneak a virus of some sort into our systems under the guise of a transmission.”

“Very well. Comms, belay that order.”

“Can I engage sir?” The FC asked, “My birds are within striking distance.”

“No hold off.” Morrison said, “They haven't formed up to engage yet.”

“What are they waiting for?” Layda asked.

“Probably for their virus to work.” Reinhardt said. “Which gives me an idea.”

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” Morrison asked.

“Most definitely.”

 

Back on the Carl Sagan Fareeha was trying to stay calm.

“Copy that Calgary. We'll hang tight.” She said.

“What's happening?” Satya asked. She fidgeted impatiently. “I detest being out of the loop.”

“Our orders are to stay here and keep a low profile. Whatever is on this ship is worth at least two Alliance cruisers, and the captain wants it found.”

There was silence in the small group as Fareeha's words sank in.

“That rules out re-starting the AI core. A power surge would give us away in a heartbeat” Angela said. “Let's check the rest of the labs.”

“Agreed.” Satya said.

The trio left the first lab, which Angela figured was a Geo-science facility, and proceeded to the next door in the hallway. This door required a manual override, just like the first.

“That's...a lot of birds.” Fareeha remarked when Angela finally got the door open.

“Indeed.” Satya said, “I believe we have found the bio-lab.”

Floating in the room before them were hundreds of birds, representing various species from across the commonwealth. The trio entered, Angela going first. The doctor only got a few steps in before she was forced to sweep large clumps of birds out of the way with her staff. Upon closer examination she found Fareeha's original statement was only partly true.

“They aren't birds.” Angela said, drawing a look of confusion from the other two women. “They're drones.”

Fareeha grabbed the nearest one, a blue jay, and held it close to here visor for inspection. Sure enough she could see the pupils of the jay's eyes were actually small cameras; Furthermore the wings concealed small thrusters that propelled the drone through the air in a life-like manner. Unfortunately nothing else in the room turned out to be noteworthy, apart from a locked door at the back labelled “Specimen storage”.

“The override is disabled.” Angela said as they gathered around it. “Looks like from the inside too.”

Fareeha tried to wedge the the door open, but her efforts were in vain. Try as she might the door refused to budge. She let out a frustrated sigh as she backed away from the stubborn obstacle, giving it a kick with her armored foot.

“Are you done?” An amused Satya asked.

Fareeha huffed and kicked the door one more time, drawing a giggle Angela, before nodding.

Satya placed her briefcase on the floor. She undid the latches, which activated a series of small magnets to keep the case secured to the floor. The lid swung open revealing a number of different tools, as well as the black cylinder they had retrieved from the Geo-science lab. The tool she chose was a peculiar looking device. It had a handle with a trigger which connected to the main body, and this housed a generator of some sort. The business end was three double jointed arms that cradled empty space, although Fareeha suspected it would not remain empty for long. The device had a white finish, and the generator glowed a warm blue color.

Satya pressed a small button on the top and a pale blue orb materialized in the space cradled by the arms. When she squeezed the trigger experimentally the arms twirled, and seemed to be pulling small tendrils of light off the orb. After a few seconds a beam, formed from the tendrils, began to extend from the device until it was almost a meter long. It illuminated the whole room with its pale blue hue, casting strange dancing shadows as the beam began to rotate in time with the arms. Satya took her finger off the trigger and the beam disappeared, returning most of the room to darkness.

“Allow me.” She said. 

Satya stepped up to the door and aimed the device at the center. She pressed the trigger, and the beam reappeared. When it made contact with the door the metal began to heat up. Soon it was glowing like the coals of a campfire, and bits of slag began to float away on all directions. The beam penetrated the door a few seconds later. Satya began to guide the beam higher, travelling up the seam between the two halves of the door. She then repeated the process with the lower half of the door. The job completed, Satya took a step back to admire her work.

“It is amazing what light can do, no?” She said.

Fareeha approached the door, brushing aside small globules of rapidly cooling metal. She waited until the glowing seam of the door had cooled somewhat before gripping it with her gauntlet covered hands. She pushed, and to her surprise the door began to slide open to reveal the room behind it. Angela peered in, using the light underneath the barrel of her pistol light a flashlight.

“Looks like a standard freezer for specimen storage.” She said.

She took a step in and immediately something felt off about her footing. There was a crunching sensation and a quick glance at the floor revealed the answer. It was coated in a thin layer of ice. In fact the whole room was. Ice crystals floated around too, casting strange shadows as the she entered. A row of freezers lined the right wall, mirrored by a row of cryo pods on the left for larger specimens. Each pod was two meters tall, with a glass door in the middle allowing for entry and observation of the contents.

Fareeha stepped in right behind Angela and the pair split, Angela going right and Fareeha left. Fareeha moved down the line of pods, briefly inspecting each one. Most were empty, with plenty of evidence that their former occupants had been released. Tracks and claw marks were gouged into the ice in many places. One of the freezers had been ripped open and its contents partly consumed.

As she neared the back of the room Fareeha came across three pods that still contained something. The first one held a meter long arachnid, with fangs the size of her fingers. Its lidless eyes stared back, sending a shiver down the soldiers spine.

“Kinda creepy isn't it.” Angela said from behind her. “I always avoided the cryo room on the Tyson for the same reason.”

“Are they still alive?” Fareeha asked.

“Yes, cryo pods are specially designed to keep specimens alive even when jettisoned into the vacuum of space.” Angela said. "Despite what this ship has gone through I would expect them to still be in good shape."

Fareeha moved on to the next pod. She had just started to look at the two headed reptile inside when Angela called her over. She was pointing at a spot on the wall right above her. A grate leading to the ventilation system had been forced open, and was floating nearby.

“That looks recent.” Angela said. “Might explain the vibrations you felt earlier.”

“I doubt any of these creature could survive in a vacuum.” Satya said as she entered the room, briefcase in tow. “It must have been something else.”

“Whatever it was, it left no visible trail.” Fareeha observed. “You would think there would be claw marks of some kind left in the ice.”

“Lets keep moving.” Angela suggested.

Fareeha continued to the last pod in the room. The ice in this pod was almost completely opaque, but the silhouette was just barely visible. It was unmistakably human.

“I've got a body here.” She said.

Angela flew over as fast as her wings could carry her. She removed a small device from her utility belt and used it to scan the pod.

“Human, female, age thirty-one.” Angela reported. “She's still alive, but in deep cryo sleep.”

“How could they have-”

“Incoming!” Fareeha was interrupted by Satya's warning. 

The soldier spun around to see a small object hurtle into the room. Fareeha trained her rocket launcher on it only to have Angela put her hand on the weapon.

“What are you-”

“Don't shoot!” Angela shouted.

The object twirled around the group, coming to a stop once it was between the trio and the pod.

“What is it?” Fareeha asked, launcher still trained on it.

“A Jeeves model lab assistant.” Angela answered. “Probably belonging to one of the crew.”

The small elliptical shaped droid twirled on the spot at Angela's words.

“Can it hear us?” Fareeha asked.

“I don't think so.” Angela said, and the droid twirled again. The panel of LEDs that displayed its expression through symbols blinked before displaying a series of Chinese characters.

“English?” Angela asked. The droid nodded and the LED display flashed before showing English words.

“Read Lips.” It said.

“Well, what is your name little one?”

“Snowball” was the reply.

“Hello Snowball. I am Dr. Angela Zeigler of LCS Calgary. This is Lieutenant Fareeha Amari, and that is Lieutenant Satya Vaswani.” Angela said. She bent down on one knee to talk to Snowball face to face as the little droid hovered. “We are here to help.”

Snowball took off and flew an excited lap of the room before returning to in front of Angela.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Fareeha asked.

The droid looked at Fareeha and shook its head.

“How about who is in this pod?” Satya chimed in.

“Friend!” The droid replied, “Help?”

“Yes we are here to help.” Angela said, “But we need to get your friend out of here first.”

Snowball shook its head.

“Core.” It said, “Go core.”

“Core?” Fareeha asked, giving Angela a puzzled look.

“The AI core.” Satya said. “There must be something there.”

Snowball twirled excitedly and flew over to her.

“It's worth a shot.” Fareeha said, “I'll come with you.”

“That will give me time to study the cryo pod.” Angela said, wrapping the glass with her knuckle. "I'll need to in order to make sure the revival is safe.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Fareeha said, “After you lieutenant.”

Satya nodded her head, and the pair left Angela and moved deeper into the ship.

“Any word from Sombra?”

“Still trying to get data from the forward server bank.”

“Good.” Fareeha replied sternly.

“You don't trust her?” Satya asked, avoiding eye contact.

“No,” Fareeha said, “And I'm not sure you should either.”

“My personal affairs are none of your business lieutenant.” Satya's rebuke was sharp, far sharper than Fareeha had expected. She quickly backtracked.

“Of course. I apologize, and will speak no more on the matter.”

An awkward silence settled over the two officers as they continued down the corridor.

“I did not mean to be so harsh.” Satya said after a while. “I've had the same argument with just about every officer on the Calgary.”

“It really was none of my business.” Fareeha said. “I'm not used to being so...so...”

“Guarded?” Satya asked, “Political?”

“Yes.” Fareeha replied. “Being an officer is a lot different than what I imagined. I'm constantly learning new things. As an NCO I didn't hesitate to speak my mind but now...well we just saw what happens.”

“I appreciate the concern.” Satya said, “But I know what I'm doing. All I ask is that you trust in that regard.”

“I can do that.”

They soon reached the elevator shaft that lead to the AI core. The door was already half open, and it didn't take much effort from Fareeha to open it the rest of the way. She peered inside, using the light from her visor to inspect the shaft.

“Looks clear.” She said, “I got point.”

Fareeha turned off the magnets in her boots. She flipped on the spot so she was upside down, facing the bottom of the shaft, and pushed off the ceiling. Fareeha floated effortlessly to the bottom, with Satya arriving a moment later. The door at the bottom of the shaft was already open, and the pair floated through and activated their boots.

“It should be just up ahead.” Satya said, gesturing to what was left of a door at the end of the small hallway. 

Scorch marks covered the walls, and spent shell casing littered the corridor. Upon reaching the remnants of the door Fareeha realized what had destroyed it.

“Shaped charge.” She said. 

Indeed the fragments of metal were torn and twisted in a way that indicated they had been blown inward by an explosion centered on the locking mechanism. They picked their way through the debris, pushing the larger pieces to the side.

As Fareeha stepped into the room it became apparent that more than just the door had been destroyed in the explosion. Several crates had been placed behind the door in a makeshift barricade.

“This place is a mess.” She said.

“Indeed.” Satya said, nodding her head.

Fareeha swept her launcher around the room, the powerful light mounted on the side illuminating the darkness.

“That's...not a good sign.” Satya said.

Fareeha followed her gaze, made easy by the lights on Satya's visor, towards the center of the circular room. A large hexagonal shaped object dominated the space. It was the server node for the ship's AI, although it barely resembled it now. Bits of white plastic casing floated about the room, many melted and deformed. The server block itself was a blackened mess of charred components and wires. Satya went to work on her table immediately, plugging it into an intact terminal nearby.

“It would appear that the fire suppression system was disabled.” She said after a moment.

Fareeha looked at the ceiling, expecting to see sprinklers.

“Where are the sprinklers?” She asked.

“There never were any.” Said Satya, “Water would be a disaster in here with all the electronics.”

“That's..a really good point actually. What is used instead?”

“A combination of special foam and gas. The gas is pumped into the room at a steady rate, quickly depriving the fire of oxygen. Then, once most of the blaze is extinguished, a damage control team enters and puts out whats left with extinguishers that use the non-conductive foam.”

“So what happened to the gas?”

“Near as I can tell, the program that is supposed to activate the canisters was deleted from the system completely. Normally there are backups in case a ship gets hacked but those are missing too.”

“Could it have been the virus?”

“I don't think so. This looks like something different, but I need more information. I'll check the other terminals to see if I can find any.” Satya unplugged her tablet.

“Maybe it was the crew.” Fareeha offered.

“What makes you say that?”

“The audio log we found mentioned that the first officer was sent here to purge the AI, to prevent it from being captured.”

“It's possible. There are a number of different ways to do that, most being against fleet protocol of course.” 

Satya tapped her finger on her thigh thoughtfully for a moment. 

“Look for signs of physical sabotage. I'll check for anything electronic.”

Fareeha nodded and began to work her way around the room methodically, scanning for signs of damage apart from the fire. She soon found what she was looking for.

“Found the ignition source.” She said.

Fareeha plucked the shattered remains of a bottle of nitro-glycerine from where it lay near the floor.

“That would explain how it started so quickly.” Sayta said.

Fareeha resumed her search, only for it to be interrupted right away.

“Pharah this is Mercy, do you copy?” Angela's voice came in over the radio.

“Pharah here, go ahead.” Fareeha replied.

“Snowball just took off, I think it's heading your way.”

“Okay I'll keep an eye out, thanks for the heads up. How are things going with the pod?”

“Slow. I'm going to need some of Torbjorn's engineers to help me with this. I'll let you know if anything changes. Mercy out.”

Angela's report reminded Fareeha that she hadn't heard from the rest of the squad since she had arrived at the stern section. She decided to fix that problem right away.

“Helix two, Helix three, this is Helix actual. How are things going?”

“Just completed the sweep of the forward section. We're all grouped up now.” Saleh replied, “Should we come over?”

“No stay put for now. We don't want to attract any attention from that cruiser or its air wing. Hang tight.”

“Copy that, Helix two out.”

Fareeha returned her attention to Satya.

“Any luck?” She asked.

“Nothing so far.” Satya said. She sounded frustrated, and sighed before continuing. “The core is so heavily damaged that what little data might be left on it will be irretrievable.”

“That's disappointing.” Fareeha said. She looked up at the ceiling, resuming her search.

“What I can't figure out,” Satya continued, “Is how they were able to disable the fire suppression system without an AI.”

“What do you mean?” Fareeha asked, eyes still glued to the ceiling. 

“Only an AI can disable a system in that manner, which means it was still active when the protocols were turned off. It takes ten full minutes to wipe an AI of this size while adhering to procedure, and that's assuming it agreed to the wipe.”

“You mean they can resist?” Fareeha gave Satya a an inquisitive look.

“Yes and no. Things get...complicated when that happens, but that tangent can wait for another time.” Satya plugged her tablet back into the first terminal. “According to the log, which was also in the forward server bank, the fire suppression system was disabled at 0934 and the fire broke out a 0936.”

“So the AI was still active when the fire broke out. Did they start the purge?”

“Not that I can see. An event like that leaves traces in every system, and both Sombra and myself have found no sign on them.”

“Could they have disabled it another way?” Fareeha had almost completed her circuit of the room now.

“The only other way would be an EMP, and I would not be able to interface with any of the electronics on the ship if one of those went off.”

“So either the AI died in the fire or..?” Fareeha trailed off.

“Or it's still on the ship.”

“You think so?”

“It would make a lot of sense. What happens when you get lit on fire?” She asked.

“Uh you burn.” Fareeha replied, a little confused at the question.

“And does that hurt?”

“Well yeah, you're on fire. Self preservation instincts take over at that point.” Fareeha narrowed her eyes. “Where are you going with this?”

“An AI is a living thing, just like you or me. So if faced it with death instinct will take over at somepoint and it will do everything it can to survive.” Satya explained, “Lighting it on fire will kill it, but it will struggle just as any living thing would. In this case though, the body is the ship, and the nerves are the electronics.”

Satya looked at Fareeha expectantly.

“So it would leave evidence of a death struggle?” The soldier ventured.

“Yes, that is correct.” Satya beamed at her. "Equipment would malfunction, random circuits short out or blow, and devices on the network spewing out random lines of code are common indicators."

“Are there any of those here?” Fareeha asked.

Satya shook her head.

“No, which means-”

“The AI could still be on the ship.” They finished together.

“Where though?” Fareeha asked. “I can't imagine there are many places one could hide an AI.”

“You'd be surprised. They can compress a lot of files to fit into things you would never expect. Hell they can even fit in multiple objects, objects like...” Satya trailed off as Snowball entered the room.

The small droid was pushing an object, one of the bird drones from the bio-lab. Snowball twirled excitedly around it.

“Friend!” Its LED panel said.

“Like that?” Fareeha asked, pointing at the bird.

“Yes, exactly like that.” Satya said.

Fareeha got on the radio.

“Uh Mercy, how good are you at bird watching?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EHhhhhh update time. Only took a little over a month =P. Had a bit of writers block to start, and then when I got over that I had an idea for a short Karaoke one-shot that has morphed into a bit of a monster, so expect to see that in the next couple of weeks! As always I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!
> 
> ps-I hope Reinhardt didn't seem to OOC. I imagine him as being a hardened veteran, but one worn down by the years of combat. He's still eager for a fight but is maybe a little more cautious than her was ten years ago.
> 
> pps-The Alliance sensors being overly IR sensitive has to do with the region of they galaxy they inhabit. Much of Corbalian space, including their homeworld, is in a large gas cloud. This necessitates strong IR and UV sensors over visible light because those wavelengths are able to penetrate the dense gas pockets.


	22. Wooden Ships and Iron Men

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S ALIVE

“Here we go!”

“Cut the chatter Wolf two.” Wing commander Erik Lofthouse ordered, “Stay sharp people. These are navy Piranhas, not pirates in crop-dusters.”

He throttled up, pushing the Spitfire's engines engines to maximum power. The squadron of twelve Spitfires closed with the approaching Alliance Piranhas at top speed.

“Stay tight, don't let them pass between us.” Erik said.

He pressed a small button on his joystick.

“Missiles armed.” The Spitfire's VI told him.

The on-board radar began to lock onto the incoming fighters.

“Two locks each,” He told the squadron, “Fire on my mark.”

The pinging noise made by the targeting computer got faster and faster as they closed with the enemy. It was replaced with a solid tone when the lock was fully acquired.

“Targets locked.” The VI said.

“Lights are green.” Erik reported. The rest of the squadron reported their lock over the next five seconds. “Calgary are we clear to engage?”

There was a garbled response, no doubt a result of the electronic duel already going on between the two ships.

“Calgary are we clear to engage?” He asked again.

“Copy Wolf leader, engage.”

“Fire!” Erik ordered.

There was a chorus of “Fox One! Fox Two!” over the radio as every Spitfire in Wolf squadron fired two missiles at the oncoming Piranhas. The Alliance fighters, flying in a tight V, began to drop counter measures to distract the missiles.

“They're starting to scatter.” Wolf four said.

“Stay tight and hit the opening.” Erik ordered, “Flight one, flight three, break right after we pass through. Flight two break left.”

He smiled is satisfaction as his pair of missiles collided with the lead Piranha, annihilating it in a spectacular explosion.

“Nice shot skip, fuel tank hit!” Wolf two said.

Three other Piranhas were hit and destroyed while the rest managed to evade their pursuing missiles. Erik nudged his fighter towards the gap created by the loss of the lead Piranha. The Alliance ships, which carried no missiles, were unable to return fire yet.

“Stay tight!” Erik said, glancing over his shoulder to check on the other three Spitfires in his four plane flight. The closing speed was so fast that they had no time to fire a burst from their rail-guns before the Piranhas were past them.

“Break, break, break!” The wing commander ordered, and pushed his Spitfire into a tight right turn. 

Erik glanced out the top of his cockpit, scanning for the fighters he knew were turning around. His trained eyes picked up the telltale flash of light reflecting off metal.

“Three marks, coming around at heading 165.” He said to the rest of his flight.

“I see them.” Said Wolf two, his wing-woman.

“I see them too.” Said Wolf three, “Wolf four come in tighter.”

“Copy Wolf three.”

Erik readied his rail-guns, thumb hovering over the button that fired them.

“I got the leader, Wolf three you take the second.” He said.

“Copy that skip.”

He guided the control stick back to the center, ending the sharp turn. With precision born from years of experience he guided the Spitfire until the lead Piranha was in the center of his cross-hairs. The Alliance craft, being less maneuverable, was still coming out of its turn.

“Got you.” He said under his breath, and pressed the button on the top of the control stick.

Four rail-guns, mounted in pairs on each side of the nose, barked to life. A long line of tracers lanced out towards the unfortunate Piranha, catching it just aft of the port engine. It shuddered with the impact, and was thrown into a violent spin. The fighter behind it began to disintegrate as Wolf three's guns struck home as well. The sole remaining Piranha completed its turn before any of the Spitfires could target it. What it lacked in missiles it made up for in cannon. Eight, four rail-guns and four plasma cannons, lit up space as it flew at the Spitfires.

“Break left Wolf two!” Erik shouted, before shoving his control stick to the left.

The Spitfire rolled in response and Erik gritted his teeth as tracers shot past his cockpit.

“Fuck I'm hit!” Wolf two said, “Lost my port stabilizer!”

“Head for the Calgary, I'll cover you.” Erik replied.

His wing-woman peeled off, leaving small bits of metal and globules of hydraulic fluid in her wake. The Piranha looped around for the kill, right into the wing commander's sights.

“Not today shithead.” He pressed the button.

The Piranha was torn in two by the stream of metal, fragmenting into thousands of tiny pieces. Erik pulled back on the control stick to avoid flying into the debris cloud.

“You're clear Wolf two.” He said, “Flight leaders report it.”

“Flight two, two damaged. Wolf six and eight heading back to the ship.”

“Flight three, no casualties. Forming up.”

Twelve kills for three damaged, not a bad trade.

“Sky is clear Calgary.” Erik reported.

“Acknowledged Wolf leader,” The flight controller on the bridge replied, “Form up and cover Red Fox and Moose squadrons on their attack runs.”

 

Bridge of LCS Calgary,  
PX-234A,  
October 3rd, 2545,  
1432 Hours,

Up until now tings had been relatively quiet on the bridge of LCS Calgary. Both captains had held their fire for fear of hitting their own fighters in the swirling dogfight that unfolded between the two ships. Now, as a victorious Wolf squadron peeled away, the firing lanes opened up.

“Firing solutions calculated sir.” A gunnery officer said, “All forward batteries are ready to fire on your command.”

The captain stood. He clasped his hands behind his back, and stared at his adversary out the transparisteel panels at the front of the bridge.

“Not yet.” Morrison said. “I won't fire first.”

“Sir that's rea-”

“The eyes of history are upon us. I will not be the man who reignites a war.”

“Our fighters have already fire the first shots.” The flight controller pointed out. “And we rammed that first cruiser.”

“The ramming was to protect personnel on a search and rescue mission, and that cruiser did not identify itself as Alliance navy. This one has.” Reinhardt said, coming to the captains defense. “And how many skirmishes are there involving fighters along the Alliance border?” Silence greeted his words. “Half a dozen in the last three months alone. How many ships have exchanged more than warning shots?”

Silence again.

“How many?” Reinhardt asked once more. Many of the younger officers avoided his steely gaze.

“None.” Morrison said. “The answer is none. No ship larger than a corvette, Alliance or Commonwealth, has fired a round in anger at one another since the end of the Dawn war.”

“Do not be so eager to gain the tactical advantage that you would plunge the whole galaxy into fire.” Reinhardt said. “You are all young and talented, with hopefully long and illustrious careers ahead. Firing first in this situation, where we hold all the cards, is a quick way to end that career.”

The standoff continued, neither captain budging an inch.

“We have size, and top speed. They accelerate quicker, and are more maneuverable.” Morrison said. “The key categories of armor and firepower belong to us, and we also have a larger compliment of fighters, bomber and strike craft.”

“So what's the plan?” Elhara asked. The helms-woman smiled at the captain. “We're behind you sir, we just need orders.”

“We hold our ground. Helix needs time to get the cargo they found loaded into lieutenant Oxton's shuttle.” The captain explained. “If we are fired upon we will return fire, but not a moment before.”

There was a flash from the bow of the Alliance cruiser, and a single round warning shot from one of its rail-guns sailed past the Calgary.

“Fire one back.” Morrison ordered.

The round shot past the Calgary's adversary less than one-hundred meters from its shields. That seemed to be too much for the Alliance captain, who promptly lost his nerve.

“Incoming!”

The forward battery on the cruiser opened fire. The first volley slammed into the Calgary's shields, which absorbed or deflected all of the rounds.

“Shield at ninety-eight percent sir.” Reinhardt. “It would appear they fired first.”

“Fire.” Morrison said.

“Which guns?” One of the gunnery officers asked, hands poised above his controls.

“Everything. Fire everything.”

The Calgary shook as every gauss-cannon, rail-gun, laser cannon and missile launcher in the forward battery opened fire at the same time.

“Keep up the fire until the shields get low.” Morrison said, “Helm keep the engines powered. I want full maneuverability if we need it.”

By now the Alliance cruiser, which at this point had been identified as the Dagger, was firing everything as well. The light show created as munitions and energy were repulsed by the shield was blinding.

“Shutters.” The captain ordered.

Metal panels slip shut over-top of the transparisteel windows, effectively cutting the bridge off from the outside. Within seconds images of what was happening appeared on the panels, captured by a ring of sensors around the outside of the bridge; However these images were less harsh on the eyes.

“How are we doing?” Morrison asked Reinhardt.

“Shields at seventy-four percent.” The executive officer replied.

“And ours?”

“Eighty-eight percent sir.”

“Good. Let me know when theirs drops to around twenty-five percent.”

The guns continued to thunder, rocking the ship with each volley.

“Torpedoes!” The shout cam from one of the ECM officers. “Starboard bow!”

“The CIWS can handle it.” Morrison said calmly. 

He gave a nod to the officer in charge of the system. The officer keyed in a series of commands to activate the system. Small panels opened all along the hull of the ship, revealing rotary mini-guns. Those closest to the bow began tracking the incoming torpedoes despite the pyrotechnics happening on the other side of the shield. The guns opened fire when the oncoming torpedoes reached the five kilometer exclusion zone that marked their maximum range. Thousands of tiny metal slugs slammed into the torpedoes. Some detonated prematurely, exploding in spectacular fashion, while others simply disintegrated under the relentless barrage. Not a single one reached the Calgary.

The exchange of salvos continued, both ships remained fixed in place. It was as if the captains were locked in a game of chicken with one another. The Calgary's size gave her a distinct advantage, she simply outclassed her opponent. The smaller alliance cruiser would be overwhelmed if it remained in its current position, something had to give.

“Their shields have hit thirty percent sir.” Reinhardt said, “We're also detecting a power build up in the engine core.”

“They might try to run then.” Morrison said. He turned to the flight controller. “Send in the strike craft, but keep one squadron in reserve.”

“Yes sir.” The controller then spoke into his headset. “Red Fox squadron, Moose squadron, begin your attack runs. Tiger squadron will remain in reserve for the moment. Wolf squadron split yourselves accordingly for escort.”

“Should we hold our fire?” Reinhardt asked.

“No.” Morrison answered firmly. “I know it's risky, but they could be about to escape.”

Reinhardt nodded.

“All batteries keep firing,” He said, “But watch for for friendlies. Strike craft are beginning their runs.”

 

Cockpit of Red Fox Three,  
PX-234A,  
October 3rd, 2545,  
1438 Hours,

“Okay kits we are clear to engage.” The voice of Red Fox leader said in Emily's headset.

“Copy Red Fox leader.” She said. “Red fox four form up on me.”

Emily's wing-man tucked his Thunderbird in behind her.

“How are things looking up there Goose?” She asked her gunner.

“All lights are green.” Her new Anthanebian crew-member replied.

“Red Fox three take your wing-man and hit the CIWS turrets on the port side of the bridge, I have the starboard with Red Fox two.” Red Fox leader ordered.

Emily turned in her cockpit and gave her CO a wave.

“Copy that skip.” She said. “Get ready boys, we're going in.

Emily flicked her control stick and rolled her Thunderbird over. She then pulled it back and throttled up, diving at the alliance cruiser. From her high vantage point she could see the telltale flicker indicating the cruiser's shields were about to fail. There was still a tremendous amount of ordinance flying between the two cruisers. An alarm went off on her console.

“They've locked onto us.” Emily said. “Tab, Rich, keep an eye out for missiles.”

“Exclusion zone coming up.” Goose said.

The five kilometer range on the CIWS was normally a no-fly zone for strike craft as well as missiles. The ships of Moose and Red Fox squadrons were taking a calculated gamble that the defense system would be occupied dealing with the missiles streaming out of the Calgary's forward launch tubes.

“Here we go!” Emily said.

Emily pushed her throttle up to the “War Emergency Power” setting in an attempt to cross the zone a quickly as possible. She held her breath as they entered the zone, only releasing it when the expected barrage of steel never materialized. The flak guns along the spine of the cruiser were a different matter.

Black puffs began to appear in the space around the gunships, indicating the spot where the time-fused shells had exploded. Her stick vibrated with near misses, as shrapnel bounced of the armored skin of the Thunderbird. 

“Take evasive action!” The squadron leader ordered.

Emily began to jerk her stick around, throwing the gunship all over the place in an attempt to throw off the aim of the defending gunners.

“Still with me four?” She asked over the radio, her brow knit in concentration.

“Right behind you boss.”

A quick glance over her shoulder conformed her wing-man's statement.

“Targets one click out.” Goose said, “Prepping rockets.”

Another volley from the Calgary slammed into the Dagger, and the shields on the Alliance cruiser failed completely. The shimmering blue blue bubble evaporated, and the gauss-cannon rounds began to strike the hull.

“Light it up boys!” Emily said, and the gunners began to rake the hull with their mini-guns.

The twenty millimeter rounds had very little impact on the hull itself, the armor was much to thick for small caliber weapons, but they did sow chaos among the sensors and communication gear that dotted the exterior.

“Two-hundred meters!” Goose reported.

They skimmed along the hull, Emily keeping the gunship less than ten meters away as she weaved to and fro. Tracers whipped past them in all directions as the CIWS system tried to track them.

“Target in sight.” Goose said.

The row of mini-guns next to the bridge loomed before Emily's eyes. Now came the hard part. She had to keep the Thunderbird flying straight and level for the attack run. It was a nerve-wracking experience, not helped by the dozens of guns trying to shoot the Thunderbird out of the sky. Emily kept her cool, holding the craft steady despite the occasional jolt in the stick from a near miss.

“Firing.” Goose said calmly.

He pressed a button on his control stick. It sent an electrical impulse to the weapons pylons, where it triggered the engines on the rockets. They shot out in a long burst, carving a line of destruction through the battery. The two guns lucky enough to escape were taken out by Rex Fox four, who completes its attack run right behind Emily.

“Pods are dry.” Emily said over the radio, “Targets destroyed.”

“Copy that.” Red Fox leader replied, “Return to ship to refuel and re-arm. Flight control will give you new targets.”

“Roger that.” Emily said. “Good shooting boys, let's get prepped for round two.”

 

Bridge of LCS Calgary,  
PX-234A,  
October 3rd, 2545,  
1445 Hours,

“They're running.” Reinhardt said, “Engines are active.”

“Helm parallel course,” Morrison ordered, “Prepare for broadsides.” He turned to Reinhardt. “How are the shields?”

“Forty-three percent sir,” The XO replied, “They won't last long in a broadside fight.”

“The I guess the armor will have its first test.”

“They're turning, heading 086.” Elhara said.

“Hard to starboard, keep us alongside.” The captain said, “Prepare to broadside on my mark.”

The engines on the Calgary surged as the ship executed the maneuver, bringing her parallel with the Alliance cruiser.

“How are things in engineering?” Morrison asked over the intercom.

“Reasonably well all things considered.” Torbjorn replied. “The ramming shook a few bolts loose but nothing we can't handle.”

“Good because things are about to get a little hot. Make sure your damage control teams are ready to go.”

“Aye we'll be ready.”

“Moose and Red Fox squadron are reporting multiple hits sir.” The flight controller said. “Tiger squadron is on standby, torpedoes set for short range.”

“Don't send them in yet, I want them on standby to follow up on the broadsides.” Morrison said.

“Turn completed sir.” Elhara reported. “Maintaining parallel course.”

“Good. Battery status?” Morrison asked Reinhardt.

“Last two turrets are swinging around now, and firing solutions calculated. Waiting on your command sir.” He told the captain.

“Close to five-thousand meters.” Morrison ordered, “Hold fire.”

All batteries ceased firing.

“Divert weapons power to the shields for the moment” The captain said, “Let's get some charge in them while we get in position.”

As if by unspoken consent the Dagger ceased fire as well to charge its own shields. The interlude gave the gunners of both sides a welcome respite. Hot barrels could cool, empty casings could be swept away, casualties cleared and breaths caught. The missile crews welcomed the pause the most, as it was the only time in which they could reload their weapons. Technicians and gunners rushed in between the launch tubes and the reinforced magazines where the munitions were stored to re-stock their weapons.

“Range 5500 meters and closing.” Reinhardt said.

“Prep guns, power back into weapons.” Morrison replied, “All hands brace!”

All turrets that could swing their guns around had done so by this point. There was tense silence throughout the ship, it was the calm before the storm.

“Open ports.” Morrison said to Reinhardt, his voice calm.

Metal panels slid open all along the middle two decks of the Calgary, revealing the rail-guns of the broadside battery. A similar row of guns appeared on the Dagger, albeit smaller than that of the heavy cruiser.

“Range 5000 meters.” Reinhardt said.

“Fire.”

Every gun on the Calgary went off at Morrison's command. The force of the recoil violently rocked the ship, throwing unprepared personnel to the floor. As tremendous as that was, it was nothing compared with the force of the fusillade striking the Dagger. The shields, which had not recovered more than thirty percent, were instantly overwhelmed by less than half of the incoming rounds. The rest struck home, impacting the cruiser's hull. The Dagger returned fire.

“Incoming!” Reinhardt shouted.

Morrison barely had enough time to grab hold of the arms of his chair before the volley struck. The Calgary shook, indicating some rounds had penetrated the shields, almost tossing the captain out of his chair.

“Status?” Morrison asked after steadying himself.

“Shields at three percent.” Reinhardt replied, “We leaked a bit.”

“No shit. Damage?”

“Armour kept it all out.”

“Good.” The captain said, “All batteries fire at will.”

Reinhardt relayed the command to the gun crews. Morrison turned his chair to see the light-show unfolding out the port side. Tracers from the CIWS arced through space as they tracked incoming missiles. Said projectiles left vapor trails in their wake, making it appear as if the ships were connected by long spindly snakes. Long beams off light danced over the armor of both ships, as the laser batteries searched for weak spots.

The Calgary's turrets above and below the hull quickly silenced those of their opponent, already depleted from Red Fox and Moose squadron's attacks, leaving them free to join the broadside guns in pounding the hull. Already multiple breaches could be observed, spilling their contents into space like wounds on some great beast.

Now that her shields were down the Calgary was not immune to ordinance either, and damage reports began to reach the bridge.

“X turret it stuck!”

“Y turret is disabled, multiple casualties.”

“Hull breach on deck four!”

“Launcher B is jammed!”

Morrison kept quiet, and let his veteran XO handle things. These were the moments that the old German lion really came into his own.

“Get an engineering team to X turret, and another one to Y turret. Send a medical team to Y as well, and alert Dr. Kaneer she has incoming casualties.” Reinhardt tapped away furiously at his console. “Seal the bulkheads around the breach, search and rescue will have to wait until things calm down before they can head that way.”

The captain looked at his own console. Onscreen was a 2D cutaway of the ship's profile from the side and the top. Small symbols were used to indicate problems. A red cross meant casualties, an orange hammer meant damage, and a blue wrench meant a mechanical failure. There was one symbol Morrison didn't see, and for that he was glad. Not a single area on the ship contained a small yellow flame icon. Just as withe seagoing vessels of ages past, fire was every starship captain's worst nightmare.

Morrison's attention was drawn to a particularly bright flash of light. A large explosion billowed out from the starboard bow of the Dagger. It was immediately followed by several secondary explosions all along the bow of the stricken cruiser.

“I think that was the forward magazine.” Reinhardt said.

This proved to be the last straw for the Alliance captain, who decided now was a prudent moment to leave. The crippled cruiser began to turn away from the Calgary in an attempt to disengage.

“They're running.” Reinhardt said. “Orders sir?”

Morrison turned to face the flight commander.

“Send in Tiger squadron, target the engines.” He said. “Helm, put us on thier tail and try to close the distance. Divert auxiliary power to the engines.”

“Pursuit shots?” Reinhardt asked.

“Forward guns only. Divert power from the rest of the weapons to shields, I want them back above fifty percent by the time we pull alongside.”

There was a chorus of “Aye sir” as the bridge crew got on with their assigned tasks.

“Any word from Helix squad or lieutenant Oxton?” Morrison asked the junior officer in Sayta's post. The young human nodded his head.

“They are in the process of loading sensitive cargo into lieutenant Oxton's shuttle. They are requesting an engineering team to assist them.”

“What do they need an engineering team for?” Reinhardt asked.

“All they said was that it was an urgent matter.”

“Very well, dispatch a shuttle immediately.” Morrison said. “But inform them and Helix that we may have to get the hell out of here at any moment.”

“Tiger squadron has engaged sir.” The flight commander said, drawing Morrison's attention.

“On screen.” He said.

The holo-table in front of him began to display the battle in detail. The six Kestrel torpedo bombers of Tiger squadron could be seen approaching the fleeing cruiser from the rear. Each bomber was equipped with five energy torpedoes. A single torpedo carried a warhead capable of producing the same power as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in Earth's second world war. A full salvo of five could cripple a warship. The draw back of the weapons was they they were slow and carried no guidance systems, making them easy prey for the CIWS. Smaller warships could also maneuver away from the torpedoes. The Kestrels that carried them were heavily armored and well shielded, although they lacked agility. Morrison listened intently to the radio chatter of the pilots as he watched the battle unfold.

“Close in Tiger two, that turret on the port side is still active.”

“Tiger leader this is Wolf leader, I'm going to cut across the keel and draw their fire.”

“Copy Wolf leader, we're starting out attack run now.”

The six bomber slip into two groups of three, each group flying in a wedge formation. The agile Spitfires of Wolf squadron darted past them. The fighters began strafing runs along the hull of the cruiser, in an effort to distract the remaining gunners.

At this point a handful of strike craft and shuttles launched out of the battered Dagger in a desperate attempt to ward off the incoming bombers. The Spitfires broke off their strafing runs to intercept while the bombers continued their run.

“Tiger four take your flight and hit the coolant pipes running along the secondary engines.”

“Copy Tiger leader.”

The three Kestrels of the aforementioned flight dove to get underneath the cruiser.

“Targets locked.”

“Fire on my mark.”

There was silence as the Kestrels drew closer to the cruiser.

“Fire.”

Each Kestrel fire its five torpedoes before peeling off to return to the Calgary. The handful of CIWS turrets on the stern of the Dagger were overwhelmed by the number of incoming torpedoes. Seven struck the secondary engines, completely destroying them. Nine hit the main engine cluster, leaving the cruiser dead in the water. It began to drift through space, lights flickering.

“Bastion are you able to open a secure channel with the Dagger?” Morrison asked.

“I believe so. The damage sustained by our bombardment may reduce the signal quality.” The AI replied.

“That's fine, I just want to broadcast a message.”

“I will require a moment.”

Morrison looked at the communication post.

“Update on Helix?”

“Engineers are on site. Cargo loading is almost complete.”

“Did they give an ETA?”

“No sir. Lieutenant Vaswami's words were “It'll be done when it's done”.”

Morrison smirked.

“Very well, tell them they have ten minutes.”

“Orders sir?” Reinhardt asked.

“Cease fire, and bring our air wing back into close orbit. I want to be ready to leave at a moments notice.” The captain said. “How's that channel coming Bastion?”

“Ready sir, but I cannot guarantee how long the security measures I have created will last.”

“Acknowledged, proceed anyway.”

“Patching you through.” There was a pause. The comunications officer gave the captain a thumbs up. “You may speak now.”

“This is captain Jack Morrison of LCS Calgary. Your vessel is disabled, and my ship is prepared to finish you off should you try to resist. Further bloodshed is pointless. Surrender you ship, and allow a boarding party to come over. Your wounded will be given medical aid, and your ship towed to the nearest LCDF base. Please consider this generous offer, for I have no wish to destroy those no longer capable of defending themselves. You have five minutes, Morrison out.”

They bridge crew waited in tense silence as the minutes ticked by. When the deadline expired with no response Reinhardt spoke up.

“Maybe their coms are disabled?”

“I am confident they received the message,” Bastion said. “And that they are capable of transmission as well.”

There was a burst of static on the radio.

“Can you clean that up?” Morrison asked. He spoke into the radio again. “Did not copy, repeat last transmission.

There was a momentary pause as Bastion and the communication officer worked on the signal. After a minute there was another reply.

“Go to hell.” The signal was crisp and clear.

“Massive power spike in the Dagger's reactor core!” An officer shouted.

Morrison shared a concerned look with Reinhardt.

“Full power to the sublight engines!” Morrison ordered. “Get us as far away from the Dagger as possible. Start charging the warp core.”

“Recall all our craft.” Reinhardt told the flight controller, “And divert weapons power to shields.”

“Helix is on the way sir.” The communication officer told the captain.

“Tell them to haul ass,” Morrison replied, “That cruiser is about to overload its reactor.” He turned to Layda. “I want a jump to Deneb ready to go.”

“Aye sir!” The navigation officer replied.

“All fighters recovered sir.” The flight controller said, “Just waiting on the two shuttles.”

“C'mon Lena.” Morrison said under his breath.

“Reactor spike reaching critical levels.” Reinhardt said, “We have to leave.”

“Jump is plotted sir.” Layda reported, “Ready on your mark.”

All eyes settled on the captain, who in turn was looking at the flight controller.

“Engineer shuttle has touched down.” The controller said.

“Sir we need to-”

Morrison held up a hand to interrupt the shield officer.

“Nobody gets left behind.” He said firmly.

Reinhardt nervously glanced at his console, which by now was blaring warnings.

“Reactor overload imminent.” He said.

Still Morrison held his tongue.

“Touchdown, Helix is on the deck.” Smiles broke across many faces at the flight controllers words.

“All hands prepare for warp jump!” The captain ordered. He sat down and buckled up.

“All lights are green sir.” Elhara said.

“Jump.”

The space around the Calgary stretched, jumping to warp speed. It came with only seconds to spare. As the Calgary began it's faster than light journey to Deneb, the reactor on the Dagger imploded. The ship was annihilated in a cataclysmic release of energy. The wave traveled outward from its point of origin, destroying the two other wrecks nearby. A visitor to PX-234A would have a hard time finding any evidence of the Carl Sagan, or that a battle took place.

Back on the bridge of the Calgary it was all smiles, save for two.

“That was close.” Reinhardt remarked quietly to the captain.

Morrison nodded.

“Too close.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh This took longer than I initially thought it would, because Spectrum got larger than I initially though it would. If you haven't read that you should totally check it out (shameless self promotion). It's cute and fluffy and the final chapter is gonna be smutty as fuck, and I'm actually super proud of the first three chapter which is a new thing to me.  
> I'm glad to be back writing action and battles because those are so much fun to design and plan for a visually based mind like my own. Hopefully jumping between several different POV's wasn't too jarring? Let me know! Next chapter will answer a lot of the questions, like who's in the pod, who's the ai aaannnnnnnnddddddddd a special somebody will make an appearance!  
> Hope you enjoyed, and thank you sooooo much for reading!


	23. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S ALIVE

“Do you have any idea what you've done?!”

“It's all in the report sir.”

Fareeha shifted in her seat. Angela squeezed her hand under the table.

“Morrison, you've practically re-ignited the war!” Admiral Sato roared, “The Alliance has withdrawn all envoys and closed the emergency diplomatic channel, all because you had to play cowboy!”

Morrison bristled at the nickname.

“I did what I had to do to protect my crew.” He shot back defiantly, “And I assure you that you would be hard pressed to find a captain in this navy who would not have done the same.”

“That does not excuse ram-”

“You know damn well it does!” Morrison interrupted heatedly, pointing an accusatory finger at the admiral's image on the briefing room holo-screen, “Otherwise you would not have sent me out to investigate in the first place.”

“I sent you out to locate a missing ship, not to engage and destroy two vessels belonging to another sovereign state.” Sato countered, “A state that would very much like your head on a platter right now, and I'm half inclined to let them have it.”

Fareeha shifted in her seat again, they were wasting time.

“Then by all means, go ahead. Have fun explaining that to Parliament.”

“You are not on the Overwatch anymore, Captain. That name won't protect you any longer, despite your attempts to resurrect it.” Fareeha could feel the anger inside her bubble to the surface at the admiral's words. “Don't think I don't know why you were so keen to bring the old gang back together, even if you had to substitute a new Amari.”

That touched a nerve and Fareeha's vision went red. She stood up from her seat.

“You're out of line, Admiral.” She said, “And out of touch. It's easy to sit behind a desk and dispense judgment while others do the bleeding and dying for you.”

Sato was stunned by her outburst and Fareeha pressed home her attack.

“We have very clear evidence that an unarmed LCDF vessel carrying a peaceful scientific mission was deliberately attacked by Alliance navy vessels.” She said, her voice rising in volume with each word, “But instead of letting us present said evidence you've chosen to waste half an hour in an infantile display, like an overbearing parent. Seventeen people are dead, not including the crew of the Carl Sagan, and you dismiss their sacrifice as a political inconvenience so readily because it might endanger the gold stars on your lapel. You, sir, are not worthy of that uniform!”

Fareeha was shaking with anger when she finished. The occupants of the briefing room were silent, stunned by the fury of her outburst. Admiral Sato recovered first.

“I'll expect your resignation on my desk tomorrow for insubordination.” He said.

His voice was cool but Fareeha could feel the venom lurking just beneath the surface. Her stomach dropped out in one horrifying moment as the end of her career, her dream job, flashed before her eyes.

“Then you will be accepting mine, too.”

A surprised Fareeha turned to find the speaker was none other than Angela, who stood up in solidarity.

“And mine as well.” Satya said, rising to her feet. “Think you can handle losing three of the most promising officers in the whole service because of your ego?”

Sato glared at them with poorly concealed fury.

“LCS Calgary will report to the shipyard at Deneb Naval Station for repairs. That is a direct order, Sato out.”

The screen went blank as Sato ended the transmission. Morrison sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“You do realize that the three of you just made a very powerful enemy?” He said.

“We do.” The three women replied.

“And that you will never be promoted as long as he is in the service?”

“With respect sir,” Fareeha replied, “I joined to serve and protect, not for promotion. If I have to do it as a private, I will.”

Angela and Satya nodded in support, before all three sat down.

“So, what now?” Reinhardt, who had been silent throughout the whole exchange, asked.

“Well we are in no position to defy a direct order.” Morrison said. “We proceed to Deneb, and hope our new passenger can give us information that will make this whole mess worth it.”

“The thawing process will take some time.” Angela said.

“How long?” Morrison asked.

“At most a week.” The doctor told him, “But likely closer four days. She will need some adjustment time after the thaw as well before questioning can begin.”

“Angela, we are up against the clock here. Talon is planning something big and the attack on the science ship was just the start. What she knows could be vital.”

“I understand that sir, but a mentally sound individual is much easier to talk to than a scared, confused and potentially cryo-sick one.” Angela crossed her arms, indicating she was not going to budge, “I'm asking for twenty-four hours after she wakes up,” She held up a hand as the captain opened his mouth to object, “Or if the questioning must happen as soon as she wakes up that I be present and have the authority to end it the instant it becomes unhealthy.”

Morrison sighed again.

“Very well.” He acquiesced, “I'm putting Amari in charge of it. Figure out the details and get back to me. I've got a lot of calls to make if we are still going to be in the service by the time we reach Deneb.”

“I won't let you down sir.” Fareeha said.

“I know.” Morrison replied, giving her a smile, “I know.”

 

They arrived at Deneb a few hours later. The Calgary pulled into one of the large orbital dry docks above the planet. Massive metal claws took hold of the ship, locking her in place as a swarm of engineers and technicians began to inspect the hull. Most of the crew was given shore leave, except for a few key personnel. Fareeha was one of those confined to ship, pending a performance review. Morrison assured her everything was going to be fine, but it did little to settle her nerves. She took comfort in the fact that Angela was confined to ship as well, and the two spent a lot of time together.

Four days after docking, the day of the thaw arrived. Torbjorn and Winston had taken charge of hooking the cryo-pod into a power generator.

“Why not plug it into the ship itself?” Jesse had asked.

It had been Sombra, of all people, who had replied.

“Because the virus that played havoc with the Carl Sagan might still be lurking in the pod's electronics.” She had explained.

“And the last thing we need is that virus getting loose into the ship, or jumping to the dry-dock and potentially the planet below.” Torbjorn added.

A small crowd had gathered in the engineering bay for the procedure. The captain, the XO, chief engineer, and the communications officer were all in attendance. Fareeha, Sombra, and Jesse were as well, Fareeha with her pistol holstered on her belt. Two armed marines stood at attention on either side of the door, in case something went wrong. Lucio stood next to the pod, tapping idly on the stretcher floating at his side. Snowball hovered beside him. As for the pod, Angela was fawning over it. Her brow creased in concentration and hair slipping out of her ponytail.

“Is everything ready?” Morrison asked.

Angela nodded.

“Yes sir.” She said, turning away from the pod. “We can begin at once.”

“Do it.” The captain ordered.

Angela keyed a series of commands into the console on the pod door. There was a hiss, and thick mist began to shoot out of the seams around the door. The doctor turned and looked at Torbjorn.

“Looks clean lass.” He said, giving her a thumbs up with his good hand, “Generator is holding steady.”

Angela returned to her work. There was a crunching noise as the ice on the door broke and fell to the floor. A metallic clanking as the gears inside began to turn, opening the outer doors of the pod. More mist spilled into the room. It swirled at their feet, slowly dissipating into the air.

“Here we go.” Angela said. She pressed a lever on the side of the control panel. “Finalizing wake-up.”

The pod began to hum loudly, and a dim glow could be seen through foggy glass. There was a low rumble, followed by the sound of draining liquid. The inner door slid open, revealing the figure inside. She slumped forward and fell out of the pod. Angela and Lucio reacted just in time, catching her before she hit the floor. They quickly eased her onto the stretcher.

“Easy now.” Angela said, “You're in a safe place. I'm Dr. Ziegler of LCS Calgary.”

The woman nodded her head.

“Mei Ling-Zhou, chief climatologist on LCS Carl Sagan.” Mei said. She sat up in the stretcher, offering Angela her hand. Angela shook it. “Very glad to see you.”

“We are as well.” Fareeha said, stepping forward. “First lieutenant Fareeha Amari, I led the team that found you. I was wondering if you would be answer some questions, pending Dr. Ziegler's approval of course.”

Mei nodded, adjusting her large rimmed glasses. Angela moved a medical scanner over Mei's body.

“Everything looks good. No areas of immediate concern.” Angela said, “I would like to bring you to the medical bay for an in-depth examination once this is over.”

Mei nodded again, shifting her position on the stretcher. Angela turned to Fareeha.

“I'm done for now, you may begin your questions.” She said.

“I'd like to start by asking you to summarize what happened on your last mission.” Fareeha said to Mei.

“It was a routine survey mission. We were to go to the colony of Lennox in the Castalan Verge and collect data.” Mei said.

“What sort of data?”

“Pretty much everything. Samples of flora and fauna, climate data, ice and rock core samples. It involved every field you can imagine, biologists, physicists, geologists, chemists, and my own of climatology.”

“But you never made it to Lennox.”

“No.” Mei shook her head sadly, “Did you find anyone else?”

Fareeha exchanged a look with Angela. The doctor nodded.

“It is my solemn duty to report that you are the only survivor. We searched the ship top to bottom. I am so sorry for your loss.”

“So many great minds, lost forever...” Mei whispered. She began to tear up. “I knew- I just was hoping that a few others might have made it.”

Angela placed a soothing hand on Mei's shoulder. She handed Mei a tissue, which the other woman took with an appreciative smile.

“We did find this little guy.” Fareeha said, gesturing to Snowball.

“Snowball!” Mei engulfed the robot in a hug, “I'm so glad you are safe!”

Snowball chirped happily in response. Fareeha smiled at the sight and gave Mei a moment to collect herself before resuming the questioning.

“So,” Fareeha said, “Can you help us?”

“Yes.” Mei replied, “What do you need to know?”

“Let's go back to my earlier question, what was the nature of your mission.”

This time Mei glanced nervously at the two marines standing on either side of the door.

“Are they- sorry it's just things are...classified.” She said.

“Corporal, privates.” Morrison said, and Lucio and the two marines saluted and left the room. Once they were gone the Captain continued. “Everyone else is cleared.”

“Our primary mission was the scientific survey of the Lennox system, as I said. However we also had an small team from fleet intelligence on-board, and we had orders to deliver them to a facility at the planet's north pole.” Mei said.

“Did these men mention anything about why they were there?” Fareeha asked, “Even if they only used code-names.”

“They kept mentioning something called “Project Vigil”. Other than that nothing, they spent most of their time holed up in the AI core.” Mei told her, “I helped them transfer Ganymede to the drones when the boarding started.”

“That seems like an odd thing to do.”

Mei nodded.

“They didn't say why, only that the data he held was important. Oh!” Mei reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper. “Here.” She handed it to Fareeha.

The soldier unfolded the paper and read it's contents.

“This is a list of birds.” She said.

“The leader of the team said the data relevant to “Project Vigil” was on those particular drones.” Mei said.

Fareeha handed the list to Torbjorn, who in-turn gave it to Winston.

“I'll start looking through them.” He said and made for the door.

“So this “Project Vigil”...” Fareeha said, looking at Morrison.

“Dates from the end of the Machine war.” He replied, “A massive and far reaching effort to keep the Galaxy safe.”

“From what?” Jesse inquired, straightening up.

“The machines. It touches just about every element of the Commonwealth. You did its dirty work without knowing when you were part of Blackwatch.” Sombra said, startling everyone, “Hell, even the regular navy is an extension of the project. The yearly simulations you hold about the Machines returning stem directly from it. Your ships are still designed to fight an enemy who dominates electronic warfare because of the project. The list goes on and on.” She looked around the room at the stunned faces. “What? I'm a good hacker.”

“I'll have to have a conversation with Admiral Morell about our security.” Morrison said.

“So how does this fit into an attack on a science ship?” Fareeha asked.

“What do you know of the Obadyan Ancients?” Morrison asked the group.

Jesse spoke up.

“Just what's in the history books. They were an old ass empire that vanished or something.”

“The term is “Fallen Empire”, and they committed mass suicide fifty years before the Machine war, citing an impending apocalypse. They left us with many gifts before they departed, many of which are still classified.” Morrison explained, “Among them were the only three known routes into the galactic core.”

He pulled the small map projector off his belt. With a push of the button, a 3D representation of the Milky Way appeared in their midst. Morison keyed in a code and three FTL routes were highlighted in red, close to the galactic core.

“So these routes are related to the project?” Fareeha asked, pointing to them on the map.

Morrison nodded.

“At the end of the Machine war, the remnants of the Omnic forces fled the known galaxy using these routes. We don't know wh-”

“Actually we do.” Sombra cut in, interrupting the captain. If he was annoyed it didn't show on his face. “Alliance Intelligence picked up a coded signal emitted on a frequency that the machines only used for vital transmissions, only this was unlike anything ever seen before. It took decades to crack the encryption, and then only at a basic level. It is actually a very fascin-”

“Sombra.” Satya said, giving the hacker a meaningful look.

“Right, sorry.” Sombra said, “The point is that enough layers of encryption were peeled back to discover the basic meaning of the message. It was a recall signal. Something called to them, ordering them to return to the galactic core.”

“Who called them? And for what reason?” Angela asked, “Why go to the core?”

Sombra and Morrison shrugged in unison.

“No idea.” Sombra said. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Whatever the reason, they left in a hurry.” Morrison continued, “Never to return. The galaxy was left to pick up the pieces. The three surviving superpowers divided the spoils and prepared for the future.”

“The New York Conference.” Angela said.

“Indeed doctor.” The captain said. “There were many things agreed on at that meeting, some of which were off the official record. One of them was what to do with the machines holed up in the galactic core. It was agreed that each superpower, the Commonwealth, the Alliance, and the League, would be responsible for one of the routes into the core. The Lyrian effort was dubbed Project Vigil.”

“The main effort was the establishment of several observation posts and a series of cloaked minefields, effectively blocking the route.” He continued, “It cost a staggering amount of money and resources, almost bankrupting the Commonwealth in the ten years it took to complete the project.”

Fareeha turned back to Mei.

“You said the intelligence officers mentioned a facility at the north pole of Lennox right?”

Mei nodded. Fareeha then looked at the captain.

“So could that facility be one of the observatories?” She asked him.

“To the best of my knowledge yes. I know about as much as all of you with regards to this part of the project.” Morrison replied.

“It would make sense.” Satya said. Using the small electronic tablet attached to her wrist she manipulated the map so that it zoomed in on the Castalan Verge. “The system is perfectly situated near this long section of the route. It would be able to observe any activity within the minefields and the integrity of said fields as well.”

“I thought they were cloaked?” Fareeha asked.

“There could be some sort of signal to de-cloak them for a short period, it might even be hidden in here.” Satya held up the black cylinder once again, “Or perhaps they send some sort of status update every now and then using an on-board antenna. It's tough to know without actually going.”

“Speaking of going, what would they have done with the data?” Jesse asked. “If this is too sensitive to do remotely from Haven or Earth, I imagine they would need to take their findings back in person.”

“We were supposed to give them a ride back.” Mei said. “Or rather the ship was.”

Angela nodded.

“Standard procedure. Most of the crew divides into small teams and they all take shuttles down to the surface to do whatever it is they need to do, usually expecting to be on their own for two weeks to a month” She said. “That leaves the parent ship free to survey the celestial bodies in the system, or in this case run back to Haven with the intelligence team and their data.”

“What I don't understand is why the Alliance would come after us.” Mei said. There was venom in her voice. “If this project is keeping the galaxy safe why come after us? Why risk everything?”

All eyes turned to Sombra. She looked around the room and shrugged.

“What better way to start a war than watching the machines swarm over your hated enemies?” She said. “Recent events have the Alliance feeling very nervous.The leadership is desperate, and willing to take massive risks to regain some sort of advantage.”

“We're not the ones attacking-”

Jesse of all people held up a hand to interrupt Fareeha.

“Think about things from a non-commonwealth perspective.” He said. “The recent Prosperity initiatives? The fleet expansion program? The old class rejuvenation program? That's enough military spending and territorial expansion to make the League nervous, and they are your ally.”

“There was a recent shift in power-” Sombra started, only for Jesse to interrupt again.

“A coup. Call it what it is.” He said.

“How would you know?”

“Word gets around. More bounties went out that month than get issued in a year. I know when a bloody regime change is happening.” He said grimly. “There was not a lot of requests for live targets.”

“Fine. There was a coup. A change in leadership in the organization I used to work for, Talon.” Sombra looked at Morrison. “Akande made his move.”

The captain paled.

“I thought he was dead!” Reinhardt exclaimed. “Honorless coward.”

“He is very much alive, and full of the conviction that he can use the machines to bring the Commonwealth to its knees.”

There was silence. Morrison and Reinhardt looked agitated.

“We have to do something.” The voice was Fareeha's. “If the stakes are as high as you all say they are then we have to do something.”

Nobody else spoke.

“Talon knew what route you were taking,” She said, gesturing to Mei, “So it's safe to assume they know Lennox was the destination. At this very moment they could be there searching for that facility.”

“I don't imagine it would be that easy to find.” Satya said. “But I do agree, it's a risk we cannot afford to take.”

“The Calgary being dry-docked does present problems.” Angela pointed out. “Not to mention a number of us are technically confined to ship.”

“I'll work on the admiral.” Morrison said. “Go above his head if I have to. I still have a few favours left with certain members of the admiralty board that I can call in.” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Fareeha thought he looked every bit of his fifty-six years at that moment. “It will still take several days, maybe even a week, before the ship will be free to leave.”

Everyone knew they didn't have that much time.

“I might be able to arrange something.” Jesse said, speaking up. He gave the captain a hesitant look. “It's not the most...legal thing though.”

“We are not exactly drowning in options.” Fareeha said, “Let's hear it.”

“I have a close associate who owns a fast ship with certain...modifications regarding its visibility.”

“That's risky.” Satya commented, “Cloaked ships are very, very illegal in Commonwealth space.”

“I can assure you he is discreet. If certain members of this crew were to take some shore leave on Deneb and drop by the civilian airport on a certain day, a pickup could perhaps be arranged.” Jesse paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought. “Should take about three days for him to get here and be ready.”

“What about our gear?” Fareeha asked. “Taking Raptora suits on shore leave is going to raise a few eyebrows.”

“Let me handle that.” Torbjorn said, “I'll see to it that your gear gets aboard.”

“What about those of us confined to ship?” Angela asked.

“Emergency shore leave due to recent psychological stress.” Satya said, “Would Dr. Elkhorn be able to issue that?”

Angela nodded.

“So it's settled then.” Morrison said, “Helix squad, McCree, Sombra-”

“And me.” Satya said.

“And me!” Winston said, rushing into the room with several drones in tow, “After going though that many birds I want in on this.”

“Me too.” Mei said. “I know the place pretty well, since I spent most of the voyage pouring over maps of it.”

“We'll need pilots too.” Fareeha added.

“My associate can-”

“Pilots we can trust not to leave us.” She finished, cutting off Jesse's objections.

Morrison sighed rather loudly.

“Lieutenant Oxton and Gunnery Chief Song will suffice?” He asked.

Fareeha nodded.

“Ensure everything you want to bring is packed and ready to go before you go on shore leave.” Torbjorn said, “Take personal items with you to Deneb, space for mission equipment will be at a premium.”

“Just how are you going to get us our gear?” Fareeha asked.

“That is a trade secret.” He replied with a wink. “All I'll say on the matter is it's a little trick I learned from your mother.”

“Alright, I believe we are done here. Reconvene in the briefing room in exactly three hours and we will go over this in detail.” Morrison said. “Dismissed.”

As the crew began to file out of the room, Angela beckoned to Fareeha.

“So I have an idea for shore leave if you are game, might blow off some steam before this mission.” She said.

“Oh?” Fareeha said, biting her lip. Her hands trailed up the doctor's sides.

Angela turned red and smacked Fareeha's shoulder playfully.

“Not quite what I had in mind but I'll add it to the itinerary.” Angela said. “Back on topic, Lennox is an arctic planet which means cold weather gear.”

“So?” Fareeha asked.

“So why don't we break that in with a little mountaineering?” Angela said eagerly, “Would you like to learn how to ice climb?”

The look on Angela's face was so adorable Fareeha could not have said no even if she wanted to.

“Yes, I'd love to.”

Angela clapped her hands with excitement.

“Excellent, I'll start putting the gear together once I finish Mei’s checkup.” She said as they moved towards the door.

“Be careful.” Morrison called after them. He had watched the whole exchange with amusement. “I don't need two of my best officers hurt just before a crucial mission.”

“We will!” The couple replied in unison.

 

Four days later,  
Deneb,  
Departures Lounge, New Zurich Civilian Spaceport,

“-Mobilization orders have been issued to military reservists throughout the Commonwealth. LCS Calgary remains in dry dock, with the president's office set to make an official statement on the matter tomorrow.”

The steady drone of the evening news filled the deserted lounge. There was no bartender, only a non-sentient omnic standing behind the counter. The sole other occupant sat at a table next to the window, staring out across the tarmac. Her clothing, with it's webbing and multitude of pouches, gave her away as a bounty hunter.

The woman's attention shifted between the TV over the bar, where the newscaster was now interviewing a defence correspondent, and a hanger a few hundred meters away. She took a long sip of tea, before turning back to observing her target through a small spotting scope.

“There you are.” She whispered to herself. A figure stepped out of the hanger and walked towards the terminal exit. “Jesse I see you've become quite fond of that beard.”

She glanced up at the TV again with one eye. The other, or what was left of it, lay concealed underneath an eye patch.

“And right on schedule.” She remarked.

Two figures stepped out onto the tarmac from the terminal. Jesse beckoned to them.

“My my Fareeha did you- no, no way.” The woman had observed that the hands of the two newcomers were intertwined. “You actually did it, you sly fox!”

She continued to watch in silence as the trio made their way over to the distant hanger. Once there the doors opened to reveal a small ship. The sleek lines and oversized engines hinted at its blockade runner design.

Through her scope, the woman could see the remote tracking device she had placed the night before still firmly attached to the hull. Smiling to herself she double checked that it was working using the controller on her gauntlet.

She took a final look at the TV, where a panel of correspondents were arguing about whether Captain Morrison should face a court-martial. Her fingers traced the tattoo underneath her eye.

“Well Jack, looks like I get to save your ass one more time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. So. Long time no update, but I'm back now. Been super busy with life and writing other projects, all of which are finished now (and you can check out if you haven't already). Always intended on updating this it just took longer than I thought and now that my other stuff is complete I can focus on opats for a while. Anyways thank you so much for sticking with this story and reading, and as always I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> ps. Thanks to Lunari for beta-ing this chapter and catching my crazy mistakes =D I really appreciate it!


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